LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


A<-y. 


CHARLEY  ROBERTS  SERIES. 


HOW   EVA   TtOBEHTS 


GAINED  HER  EDUCATION. 


BY 


THE  AUTHOR  OF  "FORREST  MILLS"-A  PRIZE  STORY. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


'TIS  NOT  THE   WHOLE  OF  LIFE   TO  LIVE: 


BOSTON: 
A-INTD       S  H  E  !>  A.  R  D. 

1870. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


Electrotyped  at  the  Boston  Stereotype  Foundry, 
No.  19  Spring  Lane. 


TO 

ANNIE     H.    S  ENTER 

Sfeis  f iiil*  f&feetcfc  of  Citg  fife 

IS   AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED 
BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


CHARLEY  ROBERTS  SERIES. 


TO   BE   COMPLETED   IN   SIX  VOLUMES. 


1.  HOW  CEAELEY  KOBEKTS  BECAME  A  MAN, 

2.  HOW  EVA  EOBEETS  GAINED  HER  EDUCATION, 

3.  HOME  IN  THE  WEST. 

(Others  in  preparation.) 


PREFACE. 


WHILE  so  many  are  speaking  and  writing  upon 
woman,  her  work,  her  sphere,  and  the  position 
she  ought  to  fill  in  life,  I  would  go  behind  all 
these  later  questions,  and  send  forth  a  story  for 
the  girls.  I  hope  they  will  not  find  it  uninter 
esting,  and  I  trust  to  the  womanly  good  sense 
which  I  have  generally  found  in  them,  to  receive 
and  understand  the  true  meaning  of  this  little 
history. 


CONTENTS. 


CH4PTEB  PAGH 

I.     ARRIVAL 11 

II.    AT  SCHOOL 25 

III.  AT  HOME 38 

IV.  SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE 50 

V.    DENOUEMENTS 67 

• 

VI.    "Rfs  PROSPECTS 81 

VII.    CONSIDERATIONS. 97 

VIII.    A  TRIP  TO  CAMPFIELDS 112 

IX.    RETURN. 130 

X.    MINNIE  TRUE 147 

XI.    NOLL  AND  EVA 164 

XII.    Ri  AND  SOPHY. 183 

XIII.  RESUMis •    ....  197 

XIV.  NOLL'S  WINTER 212 

XV.    CHARLEY'' s  VISIT. 225 

XVI.    HOME  IN  THE  WEST.       ........  238 

(9) 


EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ARRIVAL. 

IT  was  four  o'clock  of  a  sultry  July  afternoon. 
Blazing  sunshine  burned  down  upon  the  hot  and 
dusty  walls  of  New  York.  Express  wagons,  coaches, 
drays,  carriages,  and  the  omnipresent  'bus  thronged 
the  streets.  Slowly  aunt  Matilda's  showy  carriage 
wound  its  way  among  them,  and  from  its  window  Eva 
Roberts  saw,  with  careless  eyes,  the  busy  city  sights 
that  had  once  been  so  familiar.  Everything  seemed 
new  and  strange  to  her.  For  the  first  time  she  realized 
that  she  was  to  begin  a  life  quite  different  from  what 
she  had  ever  known  before,  and  that,  too,  among  com 
parative  strangers. 

The  carriage  stood  blocked  before  the  steps  of  a 
handsome  hotel.  In  and  out,  to  and  fro,  a  busy  crowd 
was  moving.  A  homesick  feeling  rose  in  Eva's  heart 

(ii) 


12  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

as  she  watched  the  unknown  faces.  Two  young  men 
came  up,  and,  turning,  stopped  a  moment  on  the  steps. 
These  were  faces  she  had  seen  before.  She  could  not 
remember  when  or  where,  but  the  surprise  was  just  as 
pleasant,  as  she  leaned  forward  to  the  window,  with  a 
glad  smile  lighting  up  her  pale  little  face.  The  elder, 
and  taller  of  the  two  observed  her  sudden  interest. 
He  lifted  his  hat  with  one  delicately-gloved  hand,  and 
bowed  with  wonderful  deference  and  grace.  The  car 
riage  moved  on  just  in  season  to  intercept  Eva's  half- 
unconscious  acknowledgment,  and  the  two  young  men 
turned  into  the  hotel. 

"  Who  was  that  ? "  asked  Dick  Waters,  as  they 
passed  through  the  long  corridors. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  returned  Mortimer  Salsby, 
with  an  easy  laugh.  "  She  seemed  unfeignedly  glad  to 
see  me,  and  I  endeavored  to  show  my  appreciation." 

"  Perhaps  she  would  be  glad  to  see  you  again.  Why 
didn't  you  send  a  boy  to  follow  the  carriage  ?  " 

"  Send  boys  yourself,  if  you  want.  That  isn't  my 
way.  I  believe  in  fate.  If  I  am  to  meet  her  again,  I 
suppose  I  shall ;  if  not,  there  is  a  good  deal  else  in 
the  world,  and  I  shall  not  suffer  for  amusement.  Be 
sides,  I  think  I  have  seen  the  face  somewhere  before 
to-day." 

"  The  turnout  is  bran  new." 

Mortimer  did  not  trouble  himself  to  mention  that  he 


ARRIVAL.  13 

very  well  knew  the  equipage  as  belonging  to  Mr. 
Meredith,  whose  eldest  daughter  was  to  come  out  next 
winter,  and  whose  son  often  accepted  the  hospitality 
of  his  rooms,  as  did  Dick  Waters.  He  only  set  out  his 
wine  and  cigars,  and,  inviting  Dick  to  freedom  there 
with,  settled  himself  for  a  good  lounge  and  smoke, 
after  his  forenoon  ramble. 

And  Eva  rode  on,  wondering,  in  a  startled  way, 
where  she  had  ever  seen  that  handsome  face  before, 
until,  running  over  in  her  mind  every  one  she  could 
remember  in  New  York,  she  came  to  identify  the 
square-shoulders,  black,  curling  hair,  and  glancing 
black  eyes  of  the  other  one,  as  her  brother  Charley's 
jolly  Dick  Waters,  of  so  many  years  ago. 

The  coach  door  was  opened.  Eva  walked  up  a 
flight  of  well-known  steps,  and  entered  the  wide  hall 
of  what  had  been  her  own  mother's  home.  Aunt 
Matilda  had  reached  what  had  been  for  years  her 
ambition  —  she  lived  in  the  same  grand  house  that  had 
belonged  to  her  brother  Hermon's  wife ;  she  kept 
her  carriage ;  she  gave  and  attended  the  most  elegant 
parties  in  all  New  York.  Eva  had  no  time  to  recover 
from  her  astonishment,  when  down  the  long,  wide  stair 
case  sprang  a  girl  of  about  her  own  age,  calling,  "  Yes, 
here  she  is ! "  to  some  one  above.  "  I'm  so  glad  you've 
come,  Evvy!  And  ma  says  you  are  to  room  with 
me.  It  is  just  as  nice  as  having  a  new  twin  sister  — 
isn't  it?" 


14  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"Thank  you,  dear  Nolly,"  replied  Eva,  choking 
back  a  strange  rising  in  her  throat.  "How  tall  you 
are ! "  she  added,  looking  up  admiringly  at  the  rather 
overgrown  and  awkward  figure  of  her  cousin  Hortense. 

"  O,  yes,  I  am  tall  enough,  if  I  were  only  beautiful 
in  proportion!  Come  up  stairs  now,  and  have  some 
rest.  I'll  help  you  dress  for  dinner." 

"  Eva,  my  sweet  child  ! "  and  aunt  Matilda,  whose 
rustling  robes,  had  swept  down  the  stairs  unobserved 
by  the  girls,  clasped  the  little  orphan  in  her  arms  with 
tragic  tenderness. 

"  Come,"  said  Hortense,  standing  on  the  first  stair, 
and  pulling  Eva's  sleeve  before  aunt  Matilda  had 
finished  her  greeting.  Eva  laid  aside  her  travelling 
dress,  and  rested  upon  a  sofa ;  and  Hortense,  or  Noll, 
as  she  was  always  called  at  home,  chattered  briskly  at 
her  all  the  while. 

"Bi  and  Sophy  have  the  room  next  to  this.  They 
keep  up  an  everlasting  talk  when  I  am  not  there  ;  but  if 
I  come,  it  dies  off  very  suddenly.  I  do  wonder  what 
they  find  to  say  so  much.  They  never  have  anything 
to  tell  me  that  is  interesting.  Brother  Jack  has  the 
front  room  next  us.  Do  you  remember  him?" 

"  No.  Was  he  at  home  when  I  used  to  come 
here?" 

"  Perhaps  not.  He  has  been  away  for  years  at  col 
lege,  and  not  half  the  time  at  home  for  vacations.  He 


ARRIVAL.  15 

is  my  boy !  Such  a  splendid  fellow,  with  brown  eyes 
and  blue  hair,  —  I  mean  the  other  way,  —  and  not  an 
atom  of  nonsense  about  him !  You  must  like  him 
at  once,  just  for  my  sake,  Evvy;  indeed,  you  can't 
help  it." 

Eva  had  seen  but  little  of  her  cousins  Meredith  in 
former  years.  She  remembered  Hortense  as  a  good- 
natured,  noisy  little  girl,  and  Maria  and  Sophia  as 
patronizing  elder  sisters;  but  it  was  all  so  long  ago, 
and  so  many  changes  had  intervened,  that  they  seemed 
quite  like  new  acquaintances  when  she  met  them  at 
dinner.  Maria  was  very  pretty.  There  was  a  reddish 
tinge  in  her  curling  hair  that  distinguished  it  as  the 
veritable  auburn  of  poets  and  artists ;  her  eyes,  of  soft 
brown,  were  shaded  by  long,  dark  lashes,  that  swept 
delicately  down  upon  her  fair  cheeks,  and  set  off  her 
perfect  complexion.  Eva  could  scarcely  keep  her  eyes 
from  her  beautiful  cousin's  face.  Sophy  called  her 
own  hair  chestnut,  as  a  companion  color  to  her  sister's 
auburn ;  and  perhaps  there  was  a  suggestion  of  yellow 
in  its  heavy  coils.  Sophy's  eyes  might  be  called  blue, 
gray,  hazel,  or  green ;  they  were  no  particular  color, 
and  resembled  several,  in  different  lights;  they  were 
not  very  agreeable  eyes  to  look  into.  Her  complexion 
had  a  provoking  tendency  to  freckles,  which  were  kept 
in  only  partial  subjection  by  certain  washes  and  cos 
metics.  Her  full  lips  had  acquired  an  habitual  con- 


16  EVA  EOBEETS'  EDUCATION. 

temptuous  expression  beneath  her  large,  round,  and 
essentially  plebeian  nose.  She  made  the  very  utmost 
of  her  rich  and  abundant  hair,  and  her  pretty  little, 
plump,  white  hands.  Beyond  these  she  could  boast  no 
beauty.  Eva's  earnest  eyes  came  back  from  a  covert 
study  of  her  cousin  Sophy's  face,  with  a  sense  of  relief, 
to  Noll's  frank  blue  eyes,  and  not  over-smooth  brown 
hair.  She  liked  Noll's  good-natured  smile  and  hearty 
ways.  Eva  had  been  kindly  received  by  uncle  Mere 
dith,  a  grave,  elderly  man,  of  preoccupied  manner. 
When  they  were  half  through  dinner,  the  door  was 
opened  by  Jack.  Noll  sprang  from  her  chair  to  seize 
his  hand,  and  exclaim,  "  This  is  Evvy,  Jack ! " 

"  How  noisy  you  are,  Noll ! "  murmured  aunt  Ma 
tilda,  languidly. 

"  And  I  want  you  to  be  the  best  of  friends,  because 
she  is  to  be  my  twin  sister,"  continued  Noll. 

"A  very  rash  assertion,  I  should  say,"  coolly  re 
marked  Sophy. 

"  Eva  may  not  wish  to  be  twin  sister  to  such  a 
harum-scarum  as  you  are,"  quietly  suggested  Mr. 
Meredith. 

"  O,  yes,  I  shall,"  said  Eva,  having  exchanged  greet 
ing  with  cousin  Jack.  "I  like  Nolly  very  much.  I 
should  be  very  lonely  without  her,  now  Charley  is  gone." 

"  Charley  is  older  than  you,  I  believe,"  said  Maria. 

"  Yes ;  four  years  older." 


AKEIVAL.  17 

"  Gone  out  west,  I  hear,"  said  Jack. 

"  Uncle  Martyn  thought  he  would  do  better  there 
than  in  any  place  he  could  find  for  him  here." 

"  The  west  is  a  grand  place  for  a  young  man,"  re 
plied  Jack.  "  I  am  tempted  to  go  there  myself, 
sometimes." 

Eva's  heart  warmed  up  at  once  with  these  words. 
They  seemed  to  make  Charley's  absence  more  tolera 
ble,  and  she  liked  Jack  proportionally  for  saying  them. 

"  O,  Jack,  don't  whisper  such  a  thing ! "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Meredith.  "You  know  I  couldn't  live  without 
you.  Your  father  will  never  go  into  society,  and  how 
dreadful  it  would  be  for  me  to  go  without  you !  " 

"  You  have  only  had  me  this  one  season.  Probably 
you  would  find  it  as  easy  to  go  without  me  as  before  I 
came  home." 

"  You  know,  Jack,  we  did  not  move  in  society  then, 
as  we  do  now.  Society  has  more  claims  upon  us  since 
we  have  changed  our  style  of  living." 

Something  in  all  this  grated  very  unpleasantly  on 
Eva's  remembrance  of  the  time  when  her  own  father, 
mother,  and  Charley  had  sat  around  the  table  in  this 
same  room.  Jack  saw  her  pained  little  face  bent 
steadily  over  her  plate,  and  resolutely  winking  back  an 
unusual  mistiness  in  her  eyes. 

"When  do  you  leave  for  Beryl  Beach?"  he  asked, 
abruptly. 

2 


18  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  One  o'clock,  to-morrow,"  replied  Sophy.  "  We 
have  waited  over  these  two  days,  till  Eva  came,  and 
now  we  mean  to  be  'off." 

"I  am  sorry  my  coming  has  detained  you,"  said 
Eva,  quickly.  "If  I  had  known  it,  I  would  have 
tried  to  be  ready  sooner." 

"  It  is  not  of  the  Jeast  consequence,  dear  child," 
sweetly  responded  aunt  Matilda.  "The  delay  has  been 
very  opportune  to  me  for  finishing  some  arrangements 
I  wished  to  make  before  leaving.  But  the  girls  have 
been  rather  impatient." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  were  keeping  us  at  home  for 
your  own  convenience,"  snapped  Sophy.  "  You  said 
it  was  on  Eva's  account." 

"So  it  was,  my  dear;  but,  as  I  said,  the  delay  did 
not  disturb  me  as  it  seems  it  did  you.  The  girls  are 
very  tired,"  she  added,  to  Eva,  "staying  in  the  hot  city 
so  long.  They  seem  to  be  really  suffering  for  fresh  air 
and  freedom." 

"  Yes,"  interposed  Noll,  with  comic  face ;  "  they 
never  suffered  so  much  in  a  whole  summer,  before,  us 
they  have  in  the  last  two  days!" 

"  The  warm  weather  does  not  affect  you  any,"  said 
Maria,  laughing. 

"  I  know  I  can't  go ;  so  where  is  the  use  in  my 
« suffering '  ?  " 

"  The   girls  have  never  been  to  Beryl  Beach,   and 


ARRIVAL.  19 

they  are  anticipating  much  pleasure,"  continued  aunt 
Matilda. 

"  None  of  us  have  ever  been  out  of  the  city  in  sum 
mer  before,"  volunteered  Noll.  "That's  what  makes 
their  sufferings  so  funny." 

Mrs.  Meredith  gave  her  a  reproving  glance,  that 
verged  so  near  an  angry  blackness,  that  a  faint  sus 
picion  of  the  fixity  of  aunt  Matilda's  sweet  temper 
crossed  Eva's  mind. 

"  We  thought,"  continued  the  interrupted  lady, 
"that  as  you  are  just  come  from  a  long  sojourn  in  the 
country,  you  would,  perhaps,  like  as  well  to  remain  with 
Noll ;  for  I  really  cannot  take  her  with  me.  Two  girls 
are  as  many  as  I  can  watch  over." 

"  I  should  prefer  to  stay  here,"  said  Eva,  absently 
smoothing  the  folds  of  crape  upon  her  sleeve. 

"  Sure  enough,  dear  child ;  how  thoughtful  of  you ! 
Gay  company  is  no  place  for  you  now,  certainly.  I 
wonder  if  my  girls  would  show  as  much  proper  and 
becoming  respect  for  my  memory,  if  I  were  taken  away 
from  them!"  and  aunt  Matilda  applied  her  delicate 
handkerchief  to  her  face,  to  hide  her  feelings. 

la  Eva's  mind  there  had  been  no  connection  between 
the  simple  words  and  unconscious  motion.  She  looked 
up  quickly,  while  her  surprise  rapidly  changed  to  in 
dignation  and  grief.  It  was  cruel  to  misunderstand  her 
so.  The  tears  would  come  at  this  dreadful  way  of 


20  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

reviving  and  treating  her  bereavement.  She  slipped 
from  her  chair,  and  hurried  away.  Mr.  Meredith  cast 
a  sharp  glance  at  his  wife,  who  was  still  in  eclipse  be 
hind  her  handkerchief. 

"  Quite  a  lachrymose  scene  ! "  sneered  Sophy. 

"Just  like  you,  ma!"  cried  Noll,  impatiently. 

"  Ah,  my  dears,  you  don't  understand ;  how  should 
you?  I  can  sympathize  with  Eva's  sorrow,  for  I,  too, 
have  lost  a  mother." 

Jack  remembered  his  decrepit  and  almost  idiotic 
old  grandmother  Roberts,  who  died  some  ten  years 
before,  and  doubted  if  the  loss  were  quite  the  same  as 
Eva's.  Noll  jogged  his  elbow,  and  whispered,  "  I'm 
going.  Remember  us  when  the  dessert  comes  in."  He 
nodded,  and  Noll  ran  out  of  the  room,  while  her 
mother  called,  "Don't  go  near  Eva,  Noll ;  let  the  dear 
child  have  a  few  minutes  alone.  I  am  going  up  to 
soothe  and  comfort  her,  when  I  have  finished  my 
dinner." 

But  Noll  went  straight  to  her  own  room,  and  was  a 
good  deal  surprised  that  Eva  was  not  there.  She 
looked  into  the  parlors  and  library,  and  even  Mrs. 
Meredith's  boudoir,  that  had  once  been  Eva's  mother's. 
Where  could  she  have  gone?  Of  course  Eva  knew 
every  door  in  the  house,  and  had  sought  some  old  and 
favorite  haunt.  She  remembered  the  old  nursery  in 
the  upper  story.  The  large,  low  room  had  been  fitted 


AKEIVAL.  21 

up  by  Mrs.  Meredith  as  a  study  for  the  girls,  where  they 
pursued  their  lessons  when  not  absent  at  the  fashiona 
ble  school  which  they  attended.  A  tinkling,  second 
hand  piano  stood  where  had  been  Eva's  comfortable 
lounge ;  a  stand  of  shelves,  for  books,  took  the  place  of 
the  old-fashioned  easy-chair;  an  easel  held  a  half-finished 
landscape  in  oils,  and  another  sustained  a  blackboard  ; 
there  was  only  a  straw  matting  upon  the  floor;  the 
table  was  littered  with  school  books  and  papers ;  and 
the  window-shades  were  closed.  In  the  midst  of  these 
gloomy  surroundings,  on  a  cricket,  with  her  head  upon 
the  seat  of  a  stiff,  wooden  chair,  was  Eva,  sobbing  out 
the  sadness  that  had  oppressed  her  ever  since  she  bade 
Charley  good  by  at  the  station,  and  watched  him  as  she 
was  driven  away. 

"  Now,  don't  cry,  Evvy,"  said  Noll,  dropping  herself 
plump  upon  the  floor  beside  her.  "What  a  guy  you'll 
make  of  yourself,  sobbing  and  stifling  in  this  way!  It's 
no  use  crying  for  things ;  we  never  do  here.  Ma  in 
dulges  in  a  mild  snivel  behind  her  laces,  sometimes ; 
but  that's  all  for  effect,  and  we  sympathize  accord 
ingly.  But,  dear  me !  such  a  terrible  cry  as  this  you're 
having  the  old  house  hasn't  seen  since  —  well,  since 
you  went  out  of  it,  I  should  judge."  So  Noll,  in  her 
effort  at  consolation,  blundered  right  upon  the  worst 
suggestion  she  could  make.  Eva  thought  of  the  day 
after  Mrs.  True's  party,  when  her  mother  came  in  upon 


22  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Charley's  entertaining  stories  with  her  sad  news,  and 
then  left  Eva  to  sob  out  her  frightened  grief  alone  for 
the  first  time.  It  seemed  as  if  she  had  ceased  being  a 
little  girl  on  that  clay.  "  Do  stop,  Evvy,  dear !  You 
make  me  feel  so  queer  and  uncomfortable  !  and  you'll 
be  as  red  in  the  face  as  if  you  had  been  boiled.  Jack 
hates  to  have  folks  round  doing  the  mournful.  Cattt 
you  stop,  just  for  my  sake,  Evvy?" 

Eva  tried  hard  to  quiet  herself;  but  the  sobs  would 
break  out  occasionally,  as  well  as  the  tears. 

"That's  a  dear  good  girl!  It's  just  like  ma -to  get 
up  a  scene.  There!  don't  cry  again.  Now  I'll  tell 
you  something.  Jack  is  going  to  bring  our  dessert  up 
here;"  and  she  caught  the  bell-rope  with  an  energetic 
pull.  "Jack  is  just  the  best  fellow  !  lie  always  re 
members  me  when  I  am  in  disgrace." 

"In  disgrace?" 

"  O,  I  am  always  doing  the  improper  thing,  in  one 
way  or  another.  You  see  I  wasn't  born  to  such  hio-h 
life  as  we've  got  into  lately,  and  it's  very  hard  to  have 
the  family  change  come  just  when  I  am  at  my  awkward 
age,  neither  a  child  nor  a  lady.  Say  to  Mr.  Jack,  pri 
vately," —  she  broke  off  as  a  servant  answered  the  bell 
—  "  that  I  am  in  the  school-room.  Jack  says,"  she  con 
tinued,  "that  he  should  have  found  it  just  as  hard  at 
my  age,  and  he  thanks  his  good  fortune  that  he  was 
allowed  to  grow  up  first." 


AEPJVAL.  .  23 

"Found  what  just  as  hard?  I  don't  quite  under 
stand." 

"High  life,  of  course.  We  have  thing^very  differ 
ent  here  from  what  they  were  in  our  old  house.  Ma 
and  the  girls  take  to  it  and  like  it  wonderfully,  and  Jack 
doesn't  seem  to  mind  it  much;  but  pa  finds  it  horribly 
tedious,  and  I  do  so  wish  I  could  have  a  good  run 
with  my  skip-rope  on  the  sidewalk!  There  were  three 
nice  boys  lived  next  door  to  us,  and  we  used  to  have 
capital  times,  playing  together.  But  ma  says  it  isn't 
becoming  for  me  to  skip  rope  on  this  sidewalk,  and  she 
sends  us  to  school  in  the  carriage  half  the  time  — " 

"  Here  you  are ! "  and  Jack's  pleasant  face  looked 
in,  followed  by  his  entire  self.  "  What  do  you  suppose 
we  had  for  dessert?"  and  Jack,  too^got  down  all  his 
long  length  upon  the  floor,  to  be  sociable  with  the 
girls. 

"  What  did  you  have  ?  Come,  out  with  it ! " 
said  Noll. 

"  Guess." 

"I  can't.     Guess,  Evvy." 

«  Peaches  ?  " 

"  Right !  Here  they  are ; "  and  Jack  produced  from 
his  pocket  a  couple  of  beautiful  peaches. 

"  Isn't  this  fine ! "  cried  Noll,  opening  her  pocket 
fruit-knife,  and  offering  it  tp  Eva. 


24  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  What  made  you  seek  these  classic  shades  ?  "  asked 
Jack,  glancing  about  the  uncomfortable  room. 

"Eva  ran'off  here  — to  hide  from  affectionate  solici 
tude,  I  suppose.  I  never  come  here  in  vacations.  It 
makes  my  back  ache  and  my  tympanums  throb  just  to 
look  at  that  cracked  old  piano.  I  do  hate  fine  arts  of 
all  kinds!" 

"Eva!  my  poor,  dear  little  Eva!"  said  aunt  Ma 
tilda's  sweet  voice. 

But  what  a  scene  for  her  sympathetic  eyes,  as  she 
pushed  open  the  door!  Eva  still  sat  on  her  cricket, 
with  swollen  eyes  and  reddened  face ;  but  a  smile  had 
come  with  Noll's  last  words,  as  she  delayed  a  great, 
juicy  piece  of  peach  half  way  to  her  mouth,  to  look 
into  Noll's  strong,  comic  face,  as  she  sat  at  her  feet ; 
and  Jack  lay  stretched  out  beside  them,  watching  the 
two  girls,  with  an  idle  laugh  upon  his  face. 

"  O,  you  are  doing  very  well ! "  and  aunt  Matilda 
beat  a  retreat. 


AT    SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER    II. 


AT    SCHOOL. 


, ,  VA  liked  the  long,  quiet  summer  days,  in  the  great 


empty  house.  Noll  was  always  new  and  amusing. 
Mr.  Meredith  had  a  large  library,  where  they  spent 
many  hours,  reading  all  sorts  of  things  in  a  whimsical 
fashion.  Noll  was  an  inveterate  reader,  if  she  might 
choose  her  own  books;  but  she  turned  in  disgust  from 
anything  not  to  her  taste,  and  preferred  sitting  idle, 
and  building  air-castles,  to  reading  what  she  did  not 
like.  Mr.  Meredith  was  always  at  home  to  dinner,  and 
sometimes  Jack.  Once,  however,  Mrs.  Meredith  visited 
Beryl  Beach  for  a  few  days,  and  Jack  was  there  several 
times  during  his  mother's  absence. 

In  September,  just  before  the  reopening  of  school, 
the  family  returned.  Eva  quickly  fell  into  the  routine 
of  her  school  duties.  She  found  Noll,  though  proverb 
ially  inattentive  and  careless,  was  yet  considerably  in 
advance  of  herself.  She  at  once  determined  to  equal 
Noll's  proficiency  in  all  their  studies,  and  was  soon 


26  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

rapidly  gaining  on  her.  Her  uncle  Meredith  and  Jack 
had  advised  her  regarding  a  course  of  study,  and  had 
recommended  only  history  and  mathematics  for  the 
first  term  ;  afterwards,  languages  ;  and  later,  the  sci 
ences,  in  place  of  mathematics ;  music,  to  extend 
throughout  her  schooling ;  and  drawing  and  painting, 
to  be  undertaken  whenever  she  might  wish  or  find  time 
for  them.  Eva  liked  the  order,  it  agreed  so  well  with 
what  her  uncle  Martyn  had  enjoined  concerning  her 
mode  "of  study.  Maria  was  nearly  eighteen,  and  had 
finished  her  education  with  the  close  of  the  previous 
term.  Sophy  was  desolate  without  her,  and  vainly 
strove  to  solace  her  loneliness  with  the  companionship 
of  Anna  Marston,  the  beauty  of  the  school.  At  home 
Maria  spent  her  time  in  alternately  reviewing  her 
music,  French,  and  wardrobe,  looking  eagerly  forward 
to  the  first  of  December,  when  she  was  to  make  her 
debut  at  her  mother's  grand  party,  given  in  honor  of 
her  coming  out.  • 

"  Isn't  this  nice ! "  cried  Noll,  as  the  three  girls 
stepped  from  the  door,  on  a  clear,  cool  morning  in 
October. 

"It's  awfully  cold!"  grumbled  Sophy,  while  Eva 
looked  up  and  smiled  in  the  bright  sunshine. 

"  It  just  wakes  me  right  up,"  exclaimed  Noll,  walking 
briskly  on. 

"Don't  go  hurrying  along  so,  like  a  servant  girl 
going  to  market,"  replied  Sophy. 


AT    SCHOOL.  27 

"No;  I'll  hurry  just  like  a  school-girl  going  to  her 
cemetery,"  laughed  Noll,  and  turning  herself  sidewise, 
she  skipped  along  with  her  arms  folded  tightly  over 
her  books  and  lunch-box,  and  her  jaunty  little  hat 
nodding  in  tune  to  the  motions  of  her  rosy  little  pug 
nose  and  dancing  eyes  and  feet. 

"I  do  wish,you  wouldn't  act  so,  Noll,"  said  Sophy, 
drawing  her  veil  a  little  closer,  to  avoid  any  such 
damaging  color  as  Noll's  face  portrayed.  "You  always 
make  me  ashamed  of  you." 

"  So  do  you,"  hummed  Noll,  as  she  skipped  on. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  can't  walk  quietly  along,  like 
Eva,  in  a  lady-like  manner." 

Noll  waited  till  they  ca/ne  up  with  her,  and  then 
wheeled  suddenly  into  rank  by  Eva's  side,  saying, 
"How  do  you  manage  it,  Evvy?" 

"  Manage  what  ?  " 

"  Being  always  lady-like." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  I  certainly  never  try  to  be 
lady-like." 

"  I  suppose  you  were  born  to  it." 

"  It's  a  great  pity  you  weren't,"  retorted  Sophy,  "  for 
I'm  afraid  you  will  never  be  able  to  acquire  it." 

"  Yes,  she  will,"  said  Eva,  quickly,  "  because  she  is 
generous  and  good-natured ;  and  mother  always  said 
that  the  root  of  politeness  is  kindness." 

"  There  !  I'll  remember  that  of  you,  Evvy ! "  ex 
claimed  Noll,  with  a  grateful  look. 


28  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  Of  course  you'll  remember  a  compliment,"  was 
Sophy's  sneering  observation. 

"  Any  one  would  who  found  them  as  scarce  as  I  do," 
angrily  returned  Noll.  "  And  that's  why  your  memory 
is  so  much  better  for  them  than  for  geometry." 

They  had  reached  their  school.  The  door  was 
opened  to  them,  and  they  entered  and  separated  with 
no  further  talk.  But  Sophy's  fault-finding  rankled 
unusually  in  Noll's  heart  —  perhaps  because  Eva's 
defence  had  made  her  feel  more  thoroughly  its  injus 
tice.  A  large  room  on  the  second  floor  was  fitted 
with  desks  for  the  whole  school,  and  this  room  was 
presided  over  by  Miss  Haliburton,  the  youngest  and 
most  popular  of  the  teachers.  In  other  parts  of  the 
building  were  recitation-rooms,  occupied  by  Madame 
Vanrie,  the  principal,  the  teacher  of  languages,  the 
little  Swedish  music-master,  and  the  artist  who  taught 
drawing,  and  painting  in  oils,  and  in  all  the  various 
fancy  styles  of  achieving  passable  pictures  without 
much  labor  or  taste. 

"  Look  out  for  yourself  to-day,"  said  Kate  Corning, 
as  Noll  was  following  Eva  out  of  the  cloak-room. 

"  What  now  ?  "  asked  Noll,  turning  back. 

"  La  Pompadour  is  out ;  that's  all."  , 

"Dear  me,  what's  that?  "  exclaimed  Eva,  half  way 
up  the  stairs,  as  her  foot  struck  a  soft  substance  that 
went  rolling  over  and  over  to  the  bottom.  There  it 


AT    SCHOOL.  29 

picked  itself  up  into  the  form  of  a  white,  woolly  poodle, 
and  gave  voice  in  a  low  whine,  increasing  to  an  en 
raged  bark  at  the  end. 

"  There's  music  a  brewing,"  said  Noll. 

"  That's  the  opening  chord,"  replied  Kate. 

"  It's  too  bad,  Pompadour  ;  it  was  all  an  accident," 
Sophy  was  saying,  as  she  tried  to  caress  the  snappish 
canine.  Miss  Haliburton  came  quickly  from  the  school 
room  above.  La  Pompadour  was  Madame  Vanrie's 
weak  point,  and  just  there  she  was  very  weak. 

"I'll  take  care  of  her,"  said  Miss  Haliburton,  quietly. 
But  La  Pompadour  declined  being  taken  up  in  her 
careful  hands.  She  gently  pushed  the  poodle  along 
the  floor  toward  a  little  private  room.  La  Pompadour 
had  an  unmistakable  limp.  Eva  had  murmured  "I'm 
sorry,"  and  hurried  on  to  look  out  some  references  in 
the  library,  before  the  stroke  of  the  bell. 

"  Somebody's  disgraced,"  remarked  a  tall,  sandy- 
faced  girl  in  black. 

"  Thank  your  stars  it  isn't  you,"  said  Noll,  at  her 
elbow. 

"  O,  I  suppose  it  is  you^  then ;  you  are  so  quick  to 
take  it  up." 

Noll  passed  on  toward  the  school-room  ;  but  a  new 
idea  was  suggested  to  her  mind  by  Susan  Smith's  last 
words.  Madame  Vanrie's  pet  had  been  alternately 
teased  and  caressed  by  the  scholars  until  its  temper 


30  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

was  completely  spoiled,  and  also  that  of  its  mistress, 
on  this  subject.  After  an  unusually  stormy  dog-diffi 
culty  of  the  previous  term,  Madame  had  announced  that 
she  should  report  to  the  parents,  for  unlady-like  con 
duct,  any  one  of  her  pupils  who  in  any  way  meddled 
with  her  dog  in  future.  She  had  also  commenced,  with 
this  term,  the  'far  wiser  tactics  of  keeping  the  dog  out 
of  the  girls'  way,  and  this  was  the  first  time  of  La 
Pompadour's  appearance.  No  wonder  Eva  was  star 
tled  at  running  over  her  on 'the  stairs,  and,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  animal's  status  in  Madame  Vanrie's 
affections,  and  the  previous  difficulties,  no  wonder  she 
went  on  in  her  accustomed  way,  without  heeding  the 
looks  of  interest  and  commiseration  showered  upon 
her  as  she  took  her  seat  at  the  opening  of  the  school 
session.  But  Noll  was  uneasy  and  anxious.  Of  course 
it  was  an  accident,  and  Eva  was  not  in  the  least  to 
blame ;  but  an  accident  was  in  itself  unlady-like,  sui 
generis,  and  an  accident  that  brought  woe  to  La 
Pompadour  became  thereby  criminal  in  the  code  of 
Madame  Vanrie's  school.  "Reported  for  unlady-like 
behavior,"  meant  assigned  to  a  seat  next  Miss  Hali- 
burton's  desk,  and  facing  the  whole  school,  for  as  long 
a  period  as  Madame  Vanrie  might  deem  appropriate ; 
and  how  could  Eva  bear  to  be  placed  in  disgrace 
before  these  fifty  girls,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  still 
strangers  to  her?  Noll  could  not  allow  it  —  yet  how 
should  she  help  it  ? 


AT    SCHOOL.  31 

Just  before  the  noonday  intermission,  Madame 
Vanrie  entered  the  school-room,  where  the  girls  were 
assembled  in  their  chairs. 

"  The  young  lady  guilty  of  improper  conduct  this 
morning  may  rise,"  said  the  icily  polished  tones  of  the 
principal. 

Many  eyes  turned  toward  Eva.  She  sat  looking 
innocently  into  Madame's  face,  quite  unconscious  that 
she  was  the  offender.  Noll  saw ;  yes,  she  could  do  it. 
And  Noll  rose. 

Madame  Vanrie  bowed.  "  As  I  supposed,"  she  said. 
"  The  rest  may  pass  out." 

One  after  another  the  girls  filed  out,  and  Noll  stood 
alone  before  Madame  and  Miss  Haliburton. 

"  I  thought  it  was  Miss  Sophy  who  had  accidentally 
vexed  the  dog,"  said  Miss  Haliburton. 

"  What  was  the  nature  of  this  difficulty,  Miss  Hor- 
tense  ?"  asked  Madame,  with  dignity. 

"  The  dog  was  on  the  stairs,  and  I  didn't  know  it." 

"And  what  happened?     I  find  she  is  quite  lame." 

"  She  rolled  down  to  the  foot." 

"  Am  I  to  understand  that  you  struck  La  Pompadour 
with  your  foot?"  exclaimed  Madame,  aghast  at  such  a 
possibility. 

"  Not  intentionally,  of  course." 

"It  shows  an  extreme  want  of  care  and  gentleness 
on.  your  part.  You  may  remove  your  books  to  this 


32  EVA   EOBEETS'  EDUCATION. 

vacant  desk  by  the  chair  for  the  present.  I  shall  take 
occasion  to  notify  your  parents  that  I  consider  your 
conduct  quite  extraordinary  in  rudeness  and  careless 
ness."  Madame  Vanrie  swept  away  to  her  own  rooms, 
and  Noll  dumped  her  books  in  a  heap  upon  the 
appointed  desk,  and  went  to  join  the  other  girls. 

If  Eva  had  not  been  a  stranger  and  so  shy  that  she 
spent  her  noonings  alone  in  the  library,  nibbling  her 
lunch,  while  she  pored  over  her  books,  she  could  not 
have  failed  to  hear  the  cause  of  Noll's  disgrace,  and 
received  the  fate  that  belonged  to  herself.  But  in  her 
shyness  and  strangerhood  she  felt  little  inclination  to 
join  the  groups  of  girls  that  gathered  in  cliques  at  each 
recess  and  intermission,  and  paid  no  attention  to  the 
chatter  in  the  halls  and  adjoining  rooms. 

"  I  didn't  know  you  were  in  that  scrape,''  said  Sophy, 
as  Noll  entered  the  cloak-room,  after  receiving  sen 
tence.  "  I  might  have  known  you  would  be  doing 
something  dreadful  to-day,  you  acted  so  on  the  way 
to  school." 

"  Noll,  you  didn't  touch  that  dog ! "  cried  Kate 
Corning ;  "  you  were  with  me,  and  nowhere  near 
her." 

"You  don't  know  anything  about  it;  so  justhold 
your  tongue — can't  you?"  ungraciously  replied  Noll, 
over  a  big  bite  of  Washington  pie. 

"  Hope  you  are  ill-natured  enough.  Madame's  soci 
ety  s'jftms  to  have  soured  your  disposition." 


AT    SCHOOL.  33 

"  Eva  Roberts  kicked  Pompadour  down  stairs.  I 
saw  her  do  it ! "  cried  a  little  girl,  proud  of  giving 
information  to  her  elders. 

"  Shut  up !  Where's  the  use  telling  all  you  know  ?  " 
said  Noll,  a  little  less  savage,  because  it  was  a  little  girl. 

"  Why  ?  Did  you  do  it  on  purpose  to  save  Eva  ?  " 
inquired  the  little  girl,  confidentially,  in  a  tone  just 
loud  enough  for  all  the  surrounding  girls  to  hear. 

"  Have  a  bite  of  my  pie,  dear,  and  let  it  stop  your 
mouth,"  said  Noll,  offering  the  wedge  of  rich  pie,  and 
laughing  good-naturedly,  at  last. 

"  Noll  Meredith,  you're  a  trump  ! "  said  Kate  Cor 
ning.  "  Your  little  cousin  Eva  would  have  been 
frightened  to  death,  and  grieved  into  purgatory,  if  she 
had  to  sit  out  there  and  take  Madaiue's  reprimand  and 
lecture  on  manners." 

"  The  lecture  is  yet  to  come.  It  will  probably  be  a 
public  one,  when  school  begins  again.  I  was  in  debt 
to  Eva,  and  this  will  help  square  accounts." 

"  What  is  this,  Noll  ?  "  exclaimed  Sophy,  excitedly, 
coming  up  —  with  the  mate  to  Noll's  piece  of  pie  in 
process  of  absorption.  "  I'm  not  going  to  have  you 
answering  for  Eva's  sins.  I'm  sure  you  have  enough 
of  your  own ;  and  it's  bad  enough  as  it  is,  without 
your  disgracing  the  family  any  further." 

"  What  are  you  trying  to  say  ?  "  asked  Noll,  looking 
up  with  a  blank  face. 
3 


34  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  If  Eva  kicked  Pompadour  doVn  stairs,  she  may 
answer  for  it.  I  am  not  going  to  have  you  any  more 
disgraced  than  you  must  be.  And  I'm  going  right  off 
to  find  Eva,  and  ask  her  if  she  did  it." 

"No,  you  are  not!"  cried  Noll,  with  flashing  eyes. 
"  If  you  stir  a  step,  or  say  a  word  to  Eva,  I'll  report 
you  for  eating  peanuts  when  Mr.  Finn  lectured  on 
harmony." 

"Who  says  that  ever  I  did  such  a  thing?"  angrily 
exclaimed  Sophy,  who  had  a  most  plebeian  fondness  for 
peanuts. 

"  Kate  Corning  and  I  saw  you,"  retorted  Noll. 

"  Well,  report  away ;  who  cares  ?  "  said  Sophy,  con 
temptuously,  moving  toward  the  door. 

Noll  was  boiling  with  rage  and  apprehension.  It 
was  so  mean  and  ugly  of  Sophy !  and  she  couldiHt 
have  her  little  scheme  exposed.  She  sprang  from  her 
seat,  flew  across  the  cloak-room,  caught  Sophy  by  the 
shoulder,  and  whispered,  "  If  you  do,  I'll  expose  your 
post  office,  every  bit  of  it,  to  father." 

Sophy  paled.  Her  eyes  turned  green  with  jealous 
vexation.  She  had  in  her  heart  rather  rejoiced  to 
catch  Eva  in  remissness ;  for  Eva's  scholarship  and 
deportment  ranked  highest  of  the  three  girls.  But  the 
post  office — the  great  joy  of  her  life,  and  all  that  made 
it  worth  living  —  Sophy  stopped  short. 

"  Will  you  let  my  affairs  alone  ?  "  asked  Noll,  tri 
umphantly. 


AT    SCHOOL.  35 

"  Yes,  if  you'll  let  mine  alone." 

"  Agreed,"  grimly  replied  Noll,  and  returned  to  her 
lunch. 

Madame  delivered  a  short,  high-flown,  and  misty 
lecture  on  the  highly  immoral  character  of  rudeness, 
carelessness,  and  bad  manners  in  general,  using  Noll,  in 
her  seat  of  disgrace,  as  an  example  of  all  these.  But 
the  story  had  spread,  and  Noll  saw  more  sympathy  and 
admiration  than  aversion  in  the  familiar  faces  of  her 
schoolmates. 

"What  had  you  done  this  morning,  Noll?"  asked 
Eva,  as  they  walked  homeward. 

"  Don't  expect  me  to  rehearse  my  sins  of  behavior 
into  your  lady-like  ears,  Evvy,  dear.  I  should  hate  to 
shock  you." 

"I  shan't  be  shocked.  But  you  needn't  tell  me  if 
you  don't  want  to.  Where  is  Sophy?" 

Sophy  had  slipped  behind  and  disappeared  down  a 
by  street,  with  a  delicately  written  note  in  one  hand 
and  a  tiny  key  in  the  other.  She  now  rejoined  them 
a,  little,  out  of  breath. 

"  I  couldn't  imagine  where  you  had  vanished,"  said 
Eva. 

"  I  ran  a  few  steps  down  that  street  to  look  at  a 
pretty  baby  in  the  window,"  explained  Sophy. 

"  O,  I  wish  I  had  seen  it,  too  ! " 

"  Perhaps  you  will,  some  day,"  laughed  Noll. 


36  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

That  evening  Noll  went  straight  into  the  library, 
where  Mr.  Meredith  sat  alone. 

"  Father,  I've  got  something  to  tell  you." 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  he  replied,  kindly,  laying  aside 
his  book.  When  Noll  came  to  speak,  'he  was  sure  she 
had  something  worth  telling;  and  he  did  not  feel  that 
pleasant  certainty  about  any  other  members  of  his 
family. 

Noll  informed  him  that  Madame  Vanrie's  disgusting 
little  poodle  got  kicked  down  stairs,  to-day,  by  acci 
dent,  and  she  was  in  the  depth  of  disgrace  on  that 
account.  Notice  would  be  sent,  to-morrow,  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Meredith,  of  her  general  bad  conduct ;  but  she 
assured  him  there  was  no  other  cause  for  complaint 
against  her;  and  would  he  please  to  hush  the  matter 
up  with  mother,  and  not  let  it  be  mentioned  in  the 
family ;  for  she  did  not  want  her  disgrace  any  wider 
spi'ead  than  was  necessary ;  and  she  particularly  did 
not  wish  Eva  to  know  of  it. 

"  So  Eva  is  really  making  you  ashamed  of  yourself  ?  w 
he  said. 

"  O,  yes,  she  often  does." 

"  That's  a  hopeful  sign.  I  hope  you  will  some  time 
learn  to  be  lady-like,  in  the  same  way  that  Eva  is,  and 
not  with  sham  politeness." 

"I'll  learn  her  kind  of  behavior,  if  I  do  any,"  said 
Noll,  sadly ;  "  but  I  am  afraid  I  shall  never  be  able 


AT    SCHOOL.  37 

to  learn    any,   but    just    act    my   own    queer  ways, 
forever." 

Having  made  an  ally  of  her  father,  Noll  feared  no 
farther  evil,  and  banished  the  dog  troubles  from  her 
mind.  But  the  reign  of  the  dog-star  was  not  yet 
over. 


38  EVA   KOBEKTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  III. 

AT    HOME. 

"JVTEXT  day  Noll  was  speckled  all  over  with 
-L  i  measles,  and  could  not  go  to  school.  Every 
one  else  in  the  house  had  entertained  these  visitors  at 
some  long  previous  era,  and  as  she  was  not  very  sick, 
Noll's  measles  were  regarded  as  a  welcome,  and,  to 
Noll,  very  opportune  joke.  Madame  Vanrie's  report 
received  little  attention,  Noll,  at  the  time,  suffering 
with  severe  headache.  La  Pompadour  no  more  in 
vaded  the  school  precincts. 

It  was  a  cold,  rainy,  dismal  evening.  Mrs.  Meredith 
had  gone  out  with  Jack.  The  girls  were  grouped 
before  the  cheerful  open  grate  of  coals  in  the  dining- 
room.  Ri  was  pricking  dainty  stitches  in  a  .delicate 
bit  of  muslin.  Sophy  glowered  and  grew  sour  over 
her  geometry.  Noll  was  idly  stretched  on 'a  lounge, 
wheeled  here  for  her  special  accommodation.  Eva  was 
tying  wild  knots  in  a  thread  with  a  shuttle,  under  Ri's 
guidance,  in  the  bewildering  effort  to  learn  tatting. 


AT    HOME.  39 

"  You  must  hold  your  thread  in  your  thumb  and 
finger  so  tight  that  it  can't  slip,"  said  Ri,  pinching 
together  Eva's  lax  finger  and  thumb. 

"  What  little  fingers  you  have  ! "  said  Sophy,  watch 
ing  the  tatting  over  her  geometry. 

"And  what  stupid  ones!"  added  Eva. 

"  There,  now  draw  the  shuttle  thread  firmly,  and 
then  the  other  one  makes  the  knot,  you  see,"  con 
tinued  Ri. 

"  Yes ;  now,  if  I  can  only  do  it  again  !  "  sighed  the 
patient  scholar.  • 

"This  geometry  is  perfectly  hateful!"  exclaimed 
Sophy. 

"Ain't  I  glad  folks  with  measles  can't  use  their 
eyes  ?  "  yawned  Noll. 

"I  thought  you  were  lamenting  that  very  thing  this 
morning,"  said  Ri,  "  when  I  brought  home  St.  Elmo, 
and  you  wanted  to  read  it." 

"  O,  yes  ;  but  '  it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no  good  ; ' 
and  I'm  just  getting  the  good  of  this  one.  If  it  wasn't 
for  my  eyes,  father  would  be  advising  my  keeping 
along  with  the  class  in  my  studies  at  home ;  because 
I'm  not  sick  enough  to  hinder." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  were  so  lazy,  Noll,"  said  Eva. 

"  Do  you  call  it  lazy  ?  I  thought  it  was  just  taking 
comfort." 

"  Do  you  think  Madame  will  give  you  your  old  seat, 
when  you  go  back?"  asked  Ri. 


40  EVA  .ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  That  depends  very  much  upon  how  she  happens  to 
feel,  I  suppose,"  replied  Noll. 

"Probably  more  on  how  grave  the  offence  was," 
said  Eva.  "You  know  I  don't  know  yet  what  it  was." 

"  She  only  kicked  Madame's  poodle  down  stairs,  by 
accident,"  said  Ri. 

Noll. held  her  breath.  Eva  looked  up  in  the  wildest 
astonishment. 

"  No,  she  didn't !  I  did  it  myself,"  cried  Eva, 
stoutly. 

"  You  must  be  mistaken,"  laughed  Ri. 

"  Noll,  is  that  really  what  you  were  disgraced  for  ?  " 
asked  Eva,  anxiously. 

"  No,"  said  Noll. 

"  Now,  Noll,  that's  a  lie  ! "  broke  out  Sophy. 

"  Post  office,"  said  Noll. 

"  You  know  I  didn't  mean  it,"  yielded  Sophy. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  asked  Eva,  growing  more 
and  more  puzzled  and  distressed. 

"We  were  .talking  Meredith  Greek,  which  you 
weren't  born  to,  and  haven't  yet  learned,"  replied  Noll, 
good-humoredly. 

"  But,  Noll,  tell  me  one  thing  ;  "  and  Eva  freed  her 
little  fingers  from  the  tangled  tatting,  and  laid  it  on 
the  table,  then  went  and  knelt  beside  Noll's  lounge. 
"  What  'were  you  disgraced  for  ?  " 

"  For  general  bad  behavior." 


AT    HOME.  41 

"  Bat  there  was  something  special  that  morning,  for 
Madame  said  as  much  in  her  lecture." 

"What  is  it,  Eva?"  asked  Mr.  Meredith,  who  had 
come  through  the  hall,  from  the  library,  and  entered 
unobserved. 

"O,  uncle  Meredith,  Ri  says  Noll  was  disgraced 
for  kicking  Pompadour  down  stairs  ;  and  it  was  I  who 
kicked  Pompadour  down  stairs." 

Mr.  Meredith  sat  upon  the  edge  of  Noll's  lounge, 
and  took  a  hand  of  both  girls,  while  a  smile  of  hearty 
amusement  lighted  up  his  face. 

"  Well,  then,  what  is  to  be  done  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Noll  won't  own  it." 

"  I'm  a  complete  pauper  in  such  matters  —  wouldn't 
own  even  my  name  in  them,  if  I  could  help  it,"  said 
Noll. 

"  I  shall  go  to  Madame  Vanrie  to-morrow,"  said  Eva, 
"  and  tell  her  that  I  —  " 

"  No,  you  won't,  if  you  love  me ! "  pathetically  inter 
posed  Noll. 

"  It's  a  mean  kind  of  love  that  would  let  you  be 
punished  in  my  stead,"  valiantly  retorted  Eva. 

"  I  see  I  must  settle  this  matter,"  said  Mr.  Meredith. 
"You  pushed  the  dog  down  stairs  —  did  you,  Eva? 
By  accident,  of  coui-se." 

"Yes,  sir.  I  ought  to  have  spoken  of  it,  and  told 
Madame  how  sorry  I  was  that  it  happened." 


42  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  And  then  what  did  you  do,  Noll  ?  " 

"  I  laughed,  and  called  it  a  good  joke,  at  first." 

"And  when  Mad^ne  called  upon  the  young  lady 
guilty  of  improper  conduct  that  morning  to  rise,  it 
never  entered  my  head  she  meant  me,"  said  Eva. 

"  I  knew  such  a  call  always  covered  my  case  exactly, 
and  so  I  rose,"  added  Noll. 

"And  got  punished  for  the  dog  accident,"  said  her 
father,  laughing. 

"  Yes.  What  harm  ?  I  really  did  resolve  to  be 
lady-like  in  future,"  said  Noll,  earnestly. 

Sophy  had  grown  studious  over  her  geometry.  Ri 
had  dropped  her  work  to  listen. 

"  I  will  call  on  Madame  Vanrie  to-morrow,  and  have 
your  sentence  repealed,"  said  the  father. 

"  And  I  will  go  and  confess,"  said  Eva. 

"  Now,  father,"  cried  Noll,  catching  Mr.  Meredith's 
sleeve,  "if  you  want  to  make  yourself  really  useful, 
and  be  a  dear  good  father,"  she  added,  patting  his 
hand,  as  he  resumed  his  seat,  "  never  mind  Madame, 
but  use  your  influence  and  authority  in  the  far  worthier 
employment  of  convincing  this  stark  little  piece  of 
honor,  that  there's  no  occasion  for  her  making  a  martyr 
of  herself,  by  acquiring  my  unenviable  position  next 
Miss  Haliburton's  desk." 

"  Not  even  uncle  Meredith  could  do  that,"  said  Eva. 
"Why,  just  think,  Noll,  what  a  miserable  little  coward 


AT    HOME.  43 

you  have  made  me  out!  I  shall  be  ashamed  to  look  a 
girl  in  the  face,  till  I  expiate." 

"  No  such  thing !  They  all  know  that  you  were  in 
blissful  ignorance  of  the  stringent  Pompadour  rules. 
And  they  know,  too,  that  you  were  equally  ignorant  of 
the  cause  of  my  little  change  of  position." 

Jack  and  Mrs.  Meredith  at  this  moment  returned 
from  the  opera.  The  lady  sank  languidly  in  the  large 
easy-chair  that  Eva  rolled  before  the  grate  for  her,  and 
said,  as  she  slowly  drew  off  her  delicate  lemon  colored 
kids,  and  threw  back  her  velvet  mantle,  — 

"What  disgusting  weather!  Ri,  take  my  bonnet, 
and  don't  jam  the  flowers.  Why  didn't  the  other  girls 
go  to  bed  before  this  time  ?  Sophy,  don't  worry  any 
more  over'your  lessons,  if  you  don't  have  them." 

"Was  it  very  fine?"  asked  Ri,  extemporizing  a 
bonnet-rack  by  setting  the  duster  upright  against  a 
chair,  steadied  by  a  cricket,  on  its  feathers,  and  hang 
ing  the  dainty  and  gay  little  bonnet  on  the  tip  of  the 
handle. 

"The  acting  was  very  good.  Jack  thought  the 
music  harsh,  in  some  parts.  Mr.  Salsby  said  it  was 
not  well  adapted  throughout.  You  will  meet  Mr. 
Salsby,  dear,  when  you  come  out." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  A  very  fine  young  man  —  wealthy,  accomplished, 
travelled,  handsome  —  he  moves  in  the  first  circles." 


44        EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  And  sprang  directly  from  original  chaos,  I  suppose," 
said  Mr.  Meredith. 

"  What  an  idea,  "William !  He  seems  to  be  entirely 
upon  his  own  responsibility  and  resources.  What  do 
you  know  of  him,  Jack  ?  " 

"  I  think  he  is  a  good  fellow.  He  has  tip-top  rooms 

at  the  K Hotel.  Had  a  disagreement  with  his 

father,  who,  he  says,  lives  somewhere  in  the  state ;  and 
then  a  large  fortune  was  left  him,  and  he  became  inde 
pendent.  Mortimer  is  a  fine  fellow  —  honorable — and 
I  think  likely  the  father  was  in  the  wrong  of  it.  But 
he  keeps  very  whist  about  the  affair." 

"  Ten  to  one  the  old  man  was  only  prudent  and 
sensible,  while  the  young  one  was  wild  and  reckless," 
said  Mr.  Meredith. 

"  O,  uncle,  I  know  his  father  did  wrong  ! "  exclaimed 
Eva,  quickly  and  earnestly. 

"  Whew !  "  said  Jack,  turning  to  face  her. 

Eva  colored,  and-  hid  her  face  in  her  hands,  while 
everybody  laughed,  except  Jack,  who  was  sorry  for  his 
rudeness. 

"You  saw  this  young  hero  to-night,  I  suppose," 
said  Noll,  as  the  laugh  subsided. 

"Yes,  Jack  had  offered  him  a  seat  in  our  box," 
replied  her  mother. 

"Jack  will  play  the  agreeable  to  him  till  Hi  comes 
out  and  relieves  him  ?  "  said  Sophy,  sagely. 


AT    HOME.  45 

"  Come ;  it  is  time  all  you  girls  were  in  bed.  Scat 
ter  ! "  said  Mrs.  Meredith,  gayly  shaking  her  gloves  at 
them. 

"Evvy,  what  made  you  break  out  so  about  that 
Mortimer  Salsby  ? "  asked  Noll,  when  she  and  Eva 
were  together  in  their  own  room.  "Do  you  know 
him  ?  " 

"Yes  —  no  —  that  is  —  I  have  only  seen  him  pass  in 
the  street ;  but  Charley  knew  him." 

"  Here  in  the  city,  or  at  Campfields  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  ought  to  tell  what  I  know, 
if  he  wants  to  keep  his  family  affairs  a  secret." 

"  Tell  me,  and  we  will  know  it  together.  They  say 
it  takes  two  to  keep  a  secret,  and  I'll  help  you  keep 
this.  We  won't  tell  the  rest." 

Eva  was  over-persuaded.  The  two  girls  nestled  their 
heads  comfortably  in  their  pillow?,  while  Eva  related 
all  that  Charley  had  told  her  of  the  robbery  at  Camp- 
fields,  and  old  Mr.  Salsby's  connection  with  it.  But  she 
said  nothing  about  Mr.  Salsby's  transactions  with  her 
own  father,  and  the  trouble  and  sorrow  he  had  caused 
the  family.  The  clocks  had  struck  twelve  long  before 
the  tale  was  ended.  When,  at  last,  Eva  finished,  Noll 
poked  up  her  head  from  the  pillow,  in  a  listening  atti 
tude. 

"  I  declare,  those  girls  are  talking  yet,"  she  exclaimed. 
"Now  I  will  know; "  and  she  sprang  out  of  bed,  ran  to 
the  dividing  wall,  and  was  quiet. 


46  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION'. 

"Noll,  what  are  you  doing?" 

"  Listening ;  hush  !  " 

Eva  meant  to  have  remonstrated  further ;  but  she 
was  very  tired,  and  suddenly  fell  asleep,  as  she  was 
thinking  what  was  the  best  tiling  to  say  to  Noll. 
There  was  a  fine  hole  through  the  thick  partition,  in 
which  was  inserted  a  quill  that  reached  from  side  to 
side  of  the  wall.  It  was  concealed  on  the  other  side, 
and  had  a  movable  stopper  on  this — all  the  work  of 
the  indefatigable  Noll.  The  head  of  her  sisters'  bed 
came  just  under  this  acoustic  tube.  It  grew  cold,  and 
Noll  pulled  on  a  warm  dressing-gown,  tucked  her  feet 
into  slippers,  moved  up  a  chair,  and  made  herself  com 
fortable  beside  her  Dionysius'  ear.  Noll  didn't  mean 
to  be  dishonorable.  Her  sisters  had  always  indulged 
in  a  great  many  nice  plans  and  private  delights,  from 
which  she  had  been  continually  excluded.  She 
thought  it  only  her  right  to  steal  a  march  on  their 
wonderful  secrets,  if  she  could.  And  this  is  what  she 
heard. 

"It's  such  a  pity  you  couldn't  manage  it  with  the 
school  hours,"  said  Ri,  sympathizingly. 

"  I've  told  you  that  I  can't.  He  says  it  must  be  ill 
the  evening,"  Sophy  replied,  fractiously. 

"  I  don't  like  that.     I  should  be  afraid." 

"Afraid  of  what?  You  will  only  go  as  companion. 
I  should  think  I  was  the  one  to  be  afraid." 


AT    HOME.  47 

Noll  thought  so,  too. 

"  One  of  us  might  feel  ill,  and  go  to  bed  early,  some 
night,"  suggested  Ri,  at  last. 

"  And  have  ma  popping  in  every  half  hour,  to  see  if 
we  are  better." 

"Take  some  evening  when  ma  is  out." 

"  But  we  can't  both  be  sick,  unless  we  have  the 
measles,"  said  Sophy,  with  a  laugh. 

"The  other  might  come  and  be  nurse,  and  so  pre 
vent  any  one  else  from  interfering." 

"  I  wonder  if  we  could  work  it  in  that  way,"  medi 
tated  Sophy. 

"No,  you  can't/"  whispered  Noll,  behind  the  wall, 
wagging  her  head  emphatically.  "I'll  not  have  my 
sisters  disgrace  themselves  in  any  such  way." 

"  Somehow,  I  feel  afraid  about  trusting  him,"  said 
Ri,  half  sorry  that  she  had  suggested  what  seemed  a 
possible  way  of  accomplishing  the  purpose. 

"Ho!  I'd  trust  him,  fast  enough.  Don't  you  know 
how  horribly  in  love  he  is  ?  and  ma  always  says  when 
a  young  man  is  in  love,  he  will  do  anything  a  girl 
says." 

Noll  shut  her  teeth  with  a  sharp  click.  "  Ma  didn't 
suppose  any  of  her  girls  would  be  fools  enough  to 
believe  it,  literally,"  she  thought. 

"  It's  dreadfully  late.  We  must  go  to  sleep,"  said 
Ri.  "  I'll  think  about  it  some  more,  to-morrow." 


48  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  So  will  I,"  said  Noll,  as  she  threw  aside  her  gown 
and  crept  back  to  her  place  beside  Eva.  But  it  was  a 
long  time  before  she  could  sleep.  Her  eyelids  seemed 
to  open  with  an  obstinate  spring.  Little  chills  rippled 
over  her,  alternating  with  burning  heats.  Strange 
fancies  danced  through  her  head,  of  secret  post  offices, 
prisons,  dark  lanterns,  robberies,  criminals  held  by  stout 
policemen,  two  girls,  cloaked  and  veiled,  creeping  out 
at  a  side  door,  on  a  dark  night,  La  Pompadour  coming 
to  meet  them  upon  the  sidewalk,  and  lifting  an  elegant 
hat  to  bow,  when  one  of  the  girls  kicked  her  into 
the  gutter,  and  Madame  Vanrie  rushed  up  to  defend 
her  pet,  and  three  policemen  appeared,  with  clubs,  but 
they  suddenly  turned  into  horses,  and  began  to  prance 
and  trample  on  Noll ;  and  she  awoke  with  a  scream 
that  startled  Eva  to  the  other  side  of  the  room,  and 
brought  Jack  and  Ri  to  the  door. 

Noll  was  tossing,  groaning,  and  talking  incoherently. 
Eva  stood  shivering  in  the  gown  she  had  caught  up, 
pale  with  fright.  The  scene  recalled  her  father's  terri 
ble  sufferings.  Mrs.  Meredith  was  roused,  and  the 
doctor  called.  "Miss  Hortense  had  taken  cold,  and 
the  measles  had  turned  inward,"  he  said.  His  pre 
scription  soon  quieted  her  delirium.  Eva  dressed  and 
passed  the  remaining  hours  till  morning  at  Noll's 
bedside,  where  Mrs.  Meredith  was  soon  persuaded  to 
give  place  to  her,  and  return  to  finish  out  her  own 
interrupted  night's  rest. 


AT    HOME.  49 

Mr.  Meredith  called  upon  Madame  Vanrie,  on  his 
way  to  business,  that  day.  Madame  was  ill,  and  unable 
to  see  any  one.  Miss  Haliburton  attended  to  all  busi 
ness  calls  to-day.  Eva  looked  in  vain  for  Madame 
Vanrie  in  the  rooms  she  usually  occupied,  that  morning, 
haunting  them,  with  fluttering  heart,  to  make  her  late 
confession.  After  devotions,  Miss  Haliburton  stated 
to  the  school  that  the  accident  to  La  Pompadour,  of 
n  week  past,  had  been  explained  more  fully.  Miss 
JIortense  Meredith  was  not  concerned  in  it,  and  only 
answered  to  the  charge  for  private  reasons  of  her  own. 
The  injury  was  inflicted  by  a  scholar  who  had  never 
seen  La  Pompadour  before,  knew  nothing  of  the  rules 
made  for  her  protection,  and  therefore  was  quite  igno 
rant  of  her  own  offence.  Under  these  circumstances, 
Miss  Ilaliburton,  in  lieu  of  Madame  Vanrie,  who  was 
detained  from  school  to-day  by  illness,  pronounced  the 
matter  satisfactorily  ended.  Miss  Hortense  would 
resume  her  old  seat  on  her  return. 

Of  course  the  scholars  talked  it  all  over  at  recess, 
and  of  course  Eva  made  her  dreaded  confession  to 
Miss  Ilaliburton,  who  already  knew  all  about  it,  instead 
of  to  Madame  Vanrie.  And  so  the  reign  of  the  dog- 
star  ended. 

4 


50  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE. 

NOLL'S  illness  was  a  great  inconvenience  to 
Sophy  in  one  respect.  It  interfered  with  her 
regular  attendance  upon  her  post  office.  During  the 
first  week  she  contrived  little  excuses  for  going  out  on 
a  short  and  lonely  walk  after  her  return  from  school. 
Then  the  weather  changed,  and  became  so  disagreea 
ble  that  the  pleasure  of  being  out  could  no  longer  be 
urged  to  account  for  her  absence.  Much  of  the  time 
it  was  so  stormy  that  Mrs.  Meredith  ordered  out  the 
carriage  for  them  to  ride  to  school.  All  these  things 
sadly  disturbed  Sophy's  plans.  She  and  the  beautiful 
young  man,  who  lived  only  a  step  off  her  route  to  and 
from  school,  and  who  had  arranged  a  charming  and 
romantic  little  post-box,  half  hid  by  an  althea  bush, 
and  fitted  with  a  lock  to  which  he  and  Sophy  had 
keys,  at  one  time  only  exchanged  letters  once  in  a 
whole  week  !  Such  was  the  adversity  of  fate  and  the 
weather.  This  young  man's  acquaintance,  too,  had 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  51 

been  made  in  the  most  romantic  manner.  To  be  sure, 
it  was  with  Ri,  at  first;  but  then  it  had  afterwards 
fallen  to  Sophy,  because  Ri  was  afraid  to  continue  it. 
This  was  the  way  of  it:  One  fine  sunny  morning  last 
spring,  as  the  girls  were  on  their  way  to  school,  Ri, 
who  had  lost  one  glove,  and  was  dallying  with  her 
fingers,  snapped  off  her  handsomest  ring,  and  it  was  no 
where  to  be  found.  They  searched  the  sidewalk  far 
and  wide,  and  even  the  street,  but  the  ring  seemed  to 
have  vanished  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  While  they 
were  hunting  for  it,  and  Ri  could  hardly  keep  from 
crying  with  grief,  a  stranger  approached.  He  half 
stopped  as  he  observed  their  search,  cast  a  few  admir 
ing  glances  at  Ri,  and  then,  profoundly  lifting  his  hat 
from  his  curling  black  hair,  he  respectfully  inquired  if 
she  had  met  with  a  loss.  Ri  replied  at  once  that  she 
had  lost  her  prettiest  ring:  it  flew  off  and  disappeared. 
The  young  man  glanced  at  the  smooth  sidewalk, 
stepped  to  the  curb-stone,  and  took  a  sharp  look  along 
the  gutter  with  his  keen  black  eyes,  and  at  once  brought 
up  the  missing  ornament  from  the  sweepings  of  the 
street.  "  O,  thank  you!"  Ri  exclaimed,  while. he  care 
fully  wiped  it  with  his  pocket  handkerchief.  "  I  am 
very  happy  that  my  good  eyesight  should  have  been 
of  any  service  to  you,"  he  said,  as  with  another  pro 
found  bow  he  wished  her  good  morning. 

" O,  Ri,  wasn't  that  romantic!"  Sophy  exclaimed,  as 
soon  as  he  was  out  of  hearing. 


52  EVA  KOBEKTS'  EDUCATION. 

"I  don't  know  —  was  it?"  returned  RL  "I'm  so 
glad  my  ring  is  found  ! " 

The  next  morning  the  stranger  met  them  again, 
covertly  Avatching  for  notice,  till  Ri  bestowed  a  pleas 
ant  smile  of  recognition,  when  again  up  went  the  hat, 
and  light  broke  over  his  whole  face,  in  a  manner  emi 
nently  complimentary.  In  this  way  he  continued  to 
meet  them  for  many  mornings.  Indeed,  it  was  only 
going  down  to  business  a  half  hour  earlier  than  had 
been  his  previous  habit.  One  morning  he  overtook 
and  joined  them,  saying  that  he  had  started  unusually 
early,  but  was  obliged  to  go  back  for  something  he 
had  forgotten,  exemplifying  the  proverb  that  haste 
makes  waste.  Afterward  he  so  often  overtook  them 
on  their  way  home  that  it  was  clearly  apparent  he  did 
not  do  it  unintentionally.  Sophy  thought  it  charm 
ingly  romantic  and  exciting.  But  Ri  did  not  quite 
like  it,  and  Noll  pronounced  it  awfully  foolish.  The 
stranger's  attention  was  all  paid  to  Ri,  and  Noll  de 
clared  he  made  woe-begone  eyes  and  looked  dreadfully 
silly.  Ri  kept  persistently  beside  Noll,  instead  of 
allowing  him  to  draw  her  behind  to  walk  with  him,  as 
he  had  once  or  twice  done  at  first.  The  result  was, 
that  Sophy  began  to  drop  behind  to  walk  with  the 
handsome  stranger.  Ri  felt  that  all  these  things  were 
not  quite  right,  but  she  did  not  know  how  to  stop  them, 
and  did  not  Wish  to  be  rude  to  the  gentleman  who  had 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  53 

rendered  her  a  service.  The  idea  of  telling  her  mother 
never  presented  itself  to  her,  nor  to  either  of  her 
sisters.  Sophy  proved  much  more  affable  with  the 
new  acquaintance  than  Ri.  She  told  him  that  this  was 
Ri's  last  term  at  school ;  that  Ri  would  be  eighteen  on 
the  20th  of  November,  and  was  coming  out  as  soon  as 
the  season  opened  ;  that  Noll  was  dreadfully  unlady 
like,  and  troubled  her  sisters  very  much  thereby  ;  and 
that  she  herself  hated  geometry,  and  Madame  Vanrie's 
school  altogether,  and  wished  she  might  come  out  with 
Ri.  In  return  the  young  man  confided  these  thrilling 
items  :  His  name  was  Richard  Waters ;  he  lived  at  the 
third  door  upon  F.  Street;  he  had  business  down 
town  ;  his  father  was  dead,  and  though  he  lived  with 
his  mother,  he  did  as  he  pleased  ;  he  would  fix  a  little 
post-box  in  the  althea  bush  by  the  corner  of  his 
mother's  fence,  if  she  would  correspond  with  him 
through  it.  So  one  day,  soon  afterward,  he  brought 
her  the  key,  and  took  her  down  F.  Street,  to  show  her 
just  where  the  post-box  was  placed,  and  how  it  was 
opened.  Sophy  grew  rapturous  about  her  lover,  as  she 
now  called  him.  But  though  he  maintained  intimacy 
only  with  Sophy,  he  still  kept  his  profound  bows, 
brightened  face,  and  wonderful  eyes,  only  for  Ri.  All 
through  the  long  summer  vacation  the  correspondence 
had  been  sedulously  carried  on,  and  the  secret  acquaint 
ance  continued.  Now,  they  no  longer  met  on  the  way 


54  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

to  and  from  school,  but  by  appointment.  "Do  not 
come  alone  to  meet  me,"  the  wise  Dick  had  advised, 
"  but  bring  your  older  sister  with  you.  I  do  not  think 
it  quite  proper  or  safe  for  you  to  go  out  entirely  alone." 
So  Ri  was  dragged  out  to  countenance  many  silly 
interviews  that  she  did  not  see  the  least  use  or  pleasure 
in,  and  that  always  made  her  half  sick  with  fright, 
they  were  so  improper.  Ri  was  a  quiet  and  matter- 
of-fact  girl,  with  no  idle  romance  or  foolish  love  of 
adventure.  She  knew  she  was  beautiful,  and  liked  to 
be  properly  admired ;  but  she  did  not  want  street 
admiration.  She  expected  to  experience  both  court 
ship  and  matrimony,  and  then  settle  down  to  live  easily 
and  pleasantly,  as  her  mother  did.  She  could  see  no 
possible  advantage  in  flirting  about  with  this  young 
ster,  barely  nineteen,  who  could  not  afford  to  marry  if 
he  wished.  She  did  not  quite  believe  that  he  wished  to 
marry  Sophy.  Yet  the  young  man  had  seriously  pro 
posed  an  elopement,  and  was  now  urging  that  it  should 
take  place  before  the  first  of  December.  He  was  pre 
pared  to  meet  any  objection  to  secrecy  with  a  picture 
of  the  tedious  delay  of  a  long  engagement,  which  her 
parents  would  undoubtedly  decree  on  account  of  her 
youth.  But  Sophy  never  thought  of  objecting  to 
secrecy;  it  would  be  such  a  grand  thing  to  walk  in  upon 
her  astonished  parents  all  married;  and 'that,  too,  before 
Ri  had  even  come  out !  0,  that  would  be  a  triumph 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE:  55 

worth  plotting  and  planning  for,  and  even  worth  sacri 
ficing  the  delights  of  an  elegant  trousseau !  Ri's 
timidity  was  at  a  dead-lock  between  her  fear  of  com 
promising  her  propriety,  and  her  fear  of  Dick.  Dick 
was  quick,  resolute,  and  had  a  masterful  way  with  him 
that  Sophy  worshipped,  and  Ri  dared  not  disobey. 
On  the  whole,  Ri's  fear  of  Dick  held  rather  the  strong 
er  place,  although  she  was  always  torn  by  conflicting 
terrors,  when  he  had  her  hand  drawn  through  one  arm, 
and  Sophy's  through  the  other,  as  they  paced  the 
walks  of  a  neighboring  park  ;  and  a  great,  merry-faced 
policeman  always  stood  or  walked  near  them  —  Dick 
said  to  keep  off  intruders  upon  their  little  reunion. 
The  officer  was  idly  endeavoring  to  discover  "  which 
of  those  two  girls  that  young  spark  was  making  love 
to  ;  "  but  he  never  found  out. 

Thus  matters  stood  while  Noll  had  her  inconvenient 
measles.  Sophy's  correspondence  had  become  of  the 
most  weighty  character.  At  home  she  made  judicious 
selections  from  her  own  and  Ri's  wardrobes,  for  an 
extemporaneous  trousseau,  and  packed  it  in  two  large 
trunks.  She  chose  a  light  green  summer  silk  for  her 
wedding  dress,  which,  although  rather  inappropriate 
for  the  season,  was  certainly  the  prettiest  and  most 
becoming  one  she  had.  In  these  arrangements  she 
found  much  excitement  and  smothered  delight. 

"Where    are    you    going?"    cried  Eva,  as   Sophy 


56  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

dodged  out  from  under  the  umbrella,  and  ran  down 

o 

"F.  Street,  one  rainy  day. 

"  Don't  wait.  I've  got  an  errand  to  do,"  returned 
Sophy,  over  her  shoulder,  through  the  driving  rain. 

Mrs.  Meredith  had  been  obliged  to  go  out  herself 
that  day;  therefore  she  could  not  send  the  carnage  for 
the  girls,  and  it  had  rained  so  that  Sophy  had  not  been 
to  her  post  office  for  three  days.  Eva  quietly  waited, 
under  her  umbrella,  at  the  street  corner.  Sophy  turned 
as  she  reached  the  friendly  althea. 

"  Run  along  ! "  she  called. 

"  I  can  just  as  well  wait,"  replied  the  considerate 
Eva. 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  Sophy  turned  her  back, 
and  crouched  upon  the  wet  sidewalk,  while  she  hastily 
unlocked  the  box  and  possessed  herself  of  three  notes. 
Crowding  them  into  her  pocket,  she  hurried  back  to 
Eva. 

"  You  needn't  have  waited,"  she  said,  ungraciously. 

Eva  saw  that  she  had  unwittingly  stumbled  upon 
some  of  Sophy's  privacy,  and  not  wishing  to  be  prying 
or  inquisitive,  she  asked  no  questions  about  her  queer 
errand  down  F.  Street. 

Sophy  hurried  to  her  own  room,  and  went  carefully 
over  each  of  her  letters  in  the  order  of  their  date. 
The  first  two  contained  nothing  of  importance;  but 
the  last,  like  the  others  in  style,  had  a  definiteuess  new 
and  startling. 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  57 

"  My  own  dear  girl :  This  confounded  rain  has  kept 
you  two  days  from  the  post-box  ;  but  I  must  get  word 
to  you  to-day.  I  do  not  forget  that  to-morrow  is  your 
beautiful  sister's  birthday, —  you  know  I  never  forget 
what  you  tell  me, —  and  I  want  you  to  help  me  cele 
brate  it  by  a  certain  wedding  that  we  have  hinted  at  as 
among  the  'to  bes.'  I  am  positively  determined  that  it 
shall  take  place  to-morrow  night.  I  shall  be  at  the  cor 
ner  of  the  next  street  with  a  coach  at  eight  o'clock. 
You  must  not  fail  to  meet  me.  Do  not  come  without 
Ri ;  you  know  a  marriage  is  not  valid  without  a  wit 
ness.  Drop  me  a  line  to-morrow  morning  to  say  that 

you  understand  and  agree.        Ever  your  devoted 

•>•> 

Dick  never  signed  more  than  one  initial  to  any  of 
these  letters,  and  often  not  even  that.  Sophy  sat 
silent  and  busy-brained.  Only  till  to-morrow  night 
and  she  would  be  gone  from  this  tedious  house  and 
her  hateful  school !  Nobody  had  ever  appreciated  her 
but  her  own  Richie !  They  would  all  think  more  of 
her  when  she  was  married,  and  they  saw  how  Richie 
loved  her.  Ri  came  in  while  she  sat  in  the  dusk  with 
the  open  letters  in  her  hand,  and  interrupted  these 
pleasant  dreams. 

"  You  contrived  to  get  to  the  box,  to-day,"  Ri  said. 

"  Yes,  and  O,  Ri,  come  here,  and  let  me  tell  you 
what  he  says." 


58  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Ri  drew  a  chair  to  her  side. 

"You  know  to-morrow  is  your  birthday.  I  told 
him  of  it  ever  so  long  ago;  but  I  didn't  suppose  lie 
would  remember  it.  I  believe  he  remembers  every 
thing  I  tell  him.  So  he  has  written  that  we  really 
must  be  married  to-morrow,  in  honor  of  your  birthday. 
He  won't  take  no,  and  says  he  will  be  at  the  corner, 
with  a  coach,  at  eight  o'clock,  and  we  must  come ! " 

A  sort  of  faintness  came  over  Ri  at  the  thought  of 
herself  creeping  out,  in  the  dark,  to  a  strange  coach, 
with  a  strange  young  man ;  and  she  could  find  no 
words  or  voice  to  reply  to  Sophy's  exultant  story. 

"  Won't  it  be  splendid  ! "  urged  Sophy. 

"  Aren't  you  afraid  ?  "  returned  Ri. 

"  You  are  a  dreadfully  chicken-hearted  girl ! "  cried 
Sophy,  in  disgust.  "  I  verily  believe  you'll  be  too 
frightened  to  ever  get  married  at  all!  Why,  what 
should  I  be  afraid  of?" 

"  Don't  you  think  you  ought  to  know  more  about 
him  ?  " 

"I  do  know  about  him.  His  family  is  just  as  re 
spectable  as  ours.  His  father  died  when  he  was  very 
young,  and  his  mother  is  a  permanent  invalid.  He 
has  a  sister  who  is  coming  out  this  very  winter,  under 
her  aunt  Cobden's  care,  and  she  will  be  at  the  same 
parties  that  you  are." 

"  But  has  he  any  property  ?  And  where  is  he  going 
to  take  you  to  live  ?  "  urged  Ri. 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  59 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  ever  asked  him  any  such  ques 
tions?"  indignantly  exclaimed  Sophy. 

"But  seems  to  me  he  ought  to  tell  you  something  of 
the  sort,"  Ri  replied,  still  unsatisfied. 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  know.  He  has  a 
good  position  in  his  uncle  Cobden's  business,  with 
prospect  of  being  junior  partner  when  he  is  twenty- 
one,  and  of  ultimately  succeeding  to  all  the  property, 
for  his  uncle  has  no  children." 

"Did  he  tell  you  that?" 

"  No  ;  but  I  found  it  out." 

It  was  some  relief  to  Ri  to  have  her  prudence  satis 
fied  as  to  the  worldly  prospects  of  her  sister's  intended 
husband;  still  it  did  not  overcome  the  faint  sickness 
that  attacked  her  whenever  she  looked  forward  to  the 
following  night. 

Noll  had  taken  an  observation  of  this  sisterly  con 
sultation  tli rough  the  key-hole,  as  Dionysius'  ear  gave 
no  distinct  report  of  it.  Noll's  room  was  well  warmed 
now ;  so  she  took  her  seat,  without  fear  of  cold,  at  her 
tube,  when  she  heard  the  girls  talking,  in  bed,  that 
night.  But  she  only  caught  a  few  disconnected  sen 
tences. 

"There  will  be  no  moon." 

"  How  dark  it  will  be !  "  shivered  Ri. 

"  You  must  dress  my  hair." 

"  Yes,  of  course." 


60  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"You  will  be  at  home  again  by  nine." 

"Will  it  take  a  whole  hour?" 

"That  is  according  to  how  far  we  go." 

"Tell  him  not  to  go  far.     We  shall  be  missed." 

"Suppose  we  are  —  what  of  it?" 

"  O,  dear,  I  dread  it  so ! " 

"  You  are  real  silly,  Ri !  There,  go  to  sleep,  and  get 
rested  for  to-morrow." 

"I  wonder  if  it  is  to-morrow,"  mused  Noll,  "and 
what  ever  shall  I  do  if  it  is?"  She  consulted  her 
pocket  diary.  There  was  no  moon  just  at  this  time. 
To-morrow  night  it  would  set  at  seven.  "I'm  afraid 
it  is  to-morrow ;  and  what  ever  shall  I  do ! "  Even 
now  Noll  had  no  thought  of  seeking  the  aid  of  either 

O  O 

of  her  parents. 

Ri  came  down  next  morning  with  dull  eyes  and  a 
heavy  head.  She  had  not  slept  at  all,  but  she  dared 
not  say  so.  Sophy  was  cool  and  collected,  Noll  un 
usually  observant.  She  was  sorry  to  find  that  Jack 
had  gone  out  early,  and  would  not  return  till  dinner. 
She  would  have  liked  to  consult  him  on  the  impend- 

• 

ing  elopement,  that  she  felt  almost  sure  was  set  for  to 
night.  The  rain  had  ceased.  Sophy  made  an  open 
trip  to  her  post-box,  on  her  way  to  school,  with  a 
hurried  line,  calculated  to  reassure  her  lover,  and 
promising  compliance  with  his  wishes. 

"All  right,"  said  Dick,  coolly,  as  he  read  it  on  his 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  61 

way  to  business  half  an  hour  later.  "  I  was  sure  Ri 
wouldn't  dare  refuse.  She  is  terribly  afraid  of  me. 
I  can  calculate  a  good  deal  on  her  fear,  if  not  on  her 
affection ; "  and  Dick  smiled  a  wicked  little  smile,  as 
he  strode  on  with  great  internal  glee. 

"  There  is  going  to  be  a  wedding  in  St.  James' 
Chapel  to-night,"  Dick  carelessly  announced  to  an  old 
schoolmate,  as  he  swung  himself  idly  about  in  an  office 
chair.  Frank  True  was  making  him  a  friendly  call, 
while  home  from  college  for  the  mid-term  recess. 

"Who  is  to  be  married?" 

"  O,  it's  a  private  affair  —  an  elopement,  in  short.  I 
only  heard  of  it  through  a  friend  who  is  going." 

"  I  don't  approve  of  elopements." 

"  O,  nor  I!  That's  why  I  mean  to  be  present," 
laughed  Dick,  with  an  attempt  at  wit.  "It  is  an 
old  friend  of  yours,  Frank.  I  advise  you  to  go.  Take 
a  back  seat,  of  course,  and  not  make  yourself  too 
prominent." 

"Friend  of  mine?"  repeated  Frank,  in  astonish 
ment. 

"  Yes ;  and  I'll  answer  for  it,  he  will  be  glad  to  see 
you  there  after  the  ceremony  is  over." 

"You  have  made  me  curious.  Haven't  you  liberty 
to  name  the  parties  ?  " 

"No,  I  have  not.     That  is  a  secret." 

"At  what  hour  would  you  advise  me  to  look  in 
at  the  chapel?" 


62  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION-. 

"O,  about  eight,  or  a  little  after." 

Later  in  the  day,  Dick  could  not  refrain  from  giving 
the  same  invitation  to  Mortimer  Salsby,  who  readily 
promised  that  he  would  not  fail  to  be  comfortably 
seated  behind  a  pillar  to  see  this  runaway  wedding. 
It  would  be  better  than  the  opera. 

School  was  a  mere  dream  to  Sophy  that  day.  She 
made  such  queer  blunders  that  the  girls  thought  her 
half  crazy.  But  school  was  over  at  last,  and  Sophy 
and  Eva  at  home.  Anxious  Noll  had  worried  herself 
nearly  into  a  fever.  Ri  was  really  sick  with  flight, 
and  had  gone  to  bed.  Meanwhile  Mrs.  Meredith  was 
idly  planning  her  toilet  for  the  evening,  and  called 
Eva  into  her  boudoir  to  ask  what  made  them  so  early 
home  from  school. 

"  I  don't  know,  aunt,  only  we  walked  very  fast. 
Sophy  was  in  a  hurry." 

"Can  you  tell  me,  dear,  whether  the  lavender  or 
lemon-colored  gloves  harmonize  best  with  this  lilac 
silk?" 

"I  think  these  delicate  rose-colored  ones  are  far  the 

t 

prettiest,  aunt,"  said  Eva,  decidedly. 

"So  they  are!  You  have  a  very  fine  eye  for  color, 
Eva.  I  like  your  taste,  it  is  so  exquisitely  delicate;" 
and  aunt  Matilda  bestowed  an  approving  pat  on  Eva's 
cheek. 

Noll  heard  with  dismay  that  her  mother  was  going 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFCE.  63 

out.  "What  if  Jack  should  go,  too,  as  he  probably 
Avould  ?  Indeed,  Jack  had  not  yet  come  in  —  had  not 
come  when  dinner  was  over.  Mrs.  Meredith  was 
dressing  for  the  evening,  while  Noll  restlessly  per 
vaded  the  halls,  like  an  unlaid  ghost.  The  programme 
she  had  heard  proposed  was  in  progress.  Ri  was  sick 
in  her  room,  and  Sophy  had  benignly  offered  to  sit  by 
her  through  the  evening.  Noll  did  not  know  that  Hi's 
sickness  was  more  real  than  feigned. 

"Ri,  you  must  get  up  and  make  yourself  ready," 
said  Sophy,  as  she  turned  herself  about  before  the 
mirror,  arrayed  in  the  light  silk  and  her  sister's  best 
laces.  Ri  had  carefully  dressed  her  hair,  and  gone 
back  upon  the  bed,  in  a  tremor  of  faintness  and 
fear. 

"  Ri,  it's  half  past  seven,"  said  Sophy,  a  few  minutes 
later. 

"  O,  Sophy,  I  do  really  feel  too  sick  to  go ! " 

"It's  only  because  you  are  frightened.  Get  up  and 
stir  'round,  and  you'll  be  all  over  it." 

Ri  knew  it  was  because  she  was  frightened  ;  so  she 
rose,  and  began  her  toilet.  Her  fingers  trembled  so 
she  could  scarcely  fasten  her  clothes,  and  Sophy  came 
to  her  assistance. 

"Come,  hurry!  It  is  ten  minutes  to  eight,"  urged 
Sophy,  just  as  Ri  took  up  the  golden-brown  silk  she 
intended  to  wear.  Sophy  could  not  have  made  a 


64  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

more  unwise  suggestion.  Ri's  lips  turned  white  and 
blue.  She  sank  into  the  nearest  chair. 

"  Sophy,  I  can't  and  won't  stir  a  step ; "  and  poor  Ri 
burst  into  tears. 

"  O,  don't,  Ri !  What  shall  we  do  ?  You  know  it 
will  not  be  legal  without  a  witness." 

"  I  can't  help  it !  Get  whom  you  please,  but  I  shan't 
go ! "  replied  Ri,  wiping  her  tears,  and  reviving  with 
her  resolve.  "  Perhaps  Noll  will  go." 

"She  won't.  She  is  just  that  disobliging  to  me 
always." 

"Or  Eva.    Wouldn't  Eva  go?" 

"  Not  if  she  knows  where  she  is  going.  But  she  is 
such  a  little  innocent,  perhaps  she  would  go  without 
knowing.  Put  these  things  out  of  sight,  and  I'll  go 
find  her." 

So  saying,  Sophy  tossed  various  articles  of  prinking 
into  the  bureau  drawer,  turned  up  her  sweeping  silk 
skirt  wrong  side  out,  and  threw  on  a  large  water-proof 
cloak.  Ri  hung  up  the  brown  silk,  drew  a  wrapper 
about  her,  and  again  lay  down  upon  the  bed.  Sophy 
listened  cautiously  in  the  hall,  and  peered  down  the 
stairs,  where  she  saw  Noll  posted  beside  the  front  door, 
ready  to  pounce  upon  Jack  the  moment  he  entered. 
So  she  softly  opened  the  door  of  Eva's  room,  and 
found  her  poring  over  her  last  letter  from  Charley. 

"  Eva,  come  into  our  room  a  moment,"  she  almost 
whispered. 


SOPHY'S  POST  OFFICE.  65 

"  Yes ; "  and  Eva  rose  and  followed  her. 

"  Ma  wants  me  to  go  on  an  errand  for  her  before  she 
goes  out,"  said  Sophy,  boldly.  "The  carriage  is  just 
out  here,  but  I  don't  want  to  go  alone.  Ri  doesn't 
feel  able  to  go ;  and  would  you  be  willing  to  go  with 
me,  just  for  company  ?  You  wouldn't  be  afraid  of  the 
dark  ? "  Sophy's  tone  was  so  unusually  sweet  and 
coaxing  that  Eva  almost  laughed. 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  the  dark;  but  why  doesn't  aunt 
send  a  servant?" 

"  She  wants  to  match  a  certain  shade,  and  servants 
don't  know  colors." 

"  Well,  I'll  be  ready  in  a  moment,"  replied  the  un 
suspecting  little  Eva. 

"  Here,  take  Ri's  things,"  Sophy  cried,  eagerly,  for 
the  clock-hand  pointed  at  eight.  She  tossed  from  the 
wardrobe  Ri's  jaunty  black  velvet  hat,  with  its  sweep 
ing  white  feather,  and  then  produced  her  cloak  also. 
"  Come ; "  and  she  led  the  way  down  a  back  stair 
case  at  the  rear  of  the  upper  hall. 

"Why  do  you  go  this  way?"  asked  Eva. 

"  The  carriage  is  this  way,"  said  Sophy,  as  she  closed 
the  basement  door,  and  passed  hastily  on  to  the  ap 
pointed  corner.  Eva  wonderingly  followed,  but  was 
reassured  on  seeing  the  carriage.  It  was  very  dark. 
The  clouds  had  returned  again,  after  yesterday's  rain, 
and  the  wind  blew  gustily. 
5 


66  EVA  BOBEBTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  Here  we  are,  Richie,"  whispered  Sophy,  giving  him 
her  hand  to  enter  the  carriage.  But  Dick  gently  put 
her  back,  and,  lifting  his  hat  profoundly  to  the  little 
black  head  with  its  sweeping  white  feather,  put  Eva 
first  into  the  carnage. 

"  What  etiquette ! "  thought  Sophy,  with  a  little  in 
ward  laugh. 

Bang  went  the  door  of  the  coach,  and  Dick  sprang 
on  the  box. 

"Why,  Rictie,  Im  Sophy!" 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  Dick,  as  the  driver  gathered  up 
his  reins.  "  I've  got  Ri,  and  she  is  the  one  I  wanted." 
.  "  But,  Richie,  'tisn't  Ri !  'tisn't  Ri ! " 

A  jeering  laugh  was  Dick's  only  answer,  as  the 
coach  rattled  off,  and  left  Sophy  standing  alone  on 
the  damp  sidewalk,  in  the  dark  November  night. 


DENOUEMENTS.  67 


CHAPTER  V. 

DENOUEMENTS. 

IT  was  half  past  eight  when  Jack  Meredith  ap 
proached  his  father's  house.  Noll  opened  the  door 
the  instant  his  foot  touched  the  steps. 

"  O,  Jack,  you  are  terribly  late!"  she  exclaimed,  in 
an  excited  half-whisper.  "  Come  straight  up  to  the 
school-room  with  me.  I've  an  awful  story  to  tell  you ! " 

"  What's  up  now  ?  Anybody  dead  ?  "  he  gasped, 
as  Noll  led  him  on  a  breathless  run  up  three  long 
flights  of  stairs. 

The  school-room  was  unlighted;  but  Noll  pushed 
him  into  a  chair,  and  throned  herself  upon  his  lap,  that 
he  might  not  escape. 

"  There's  been  an  immense  flirtation  going  on,  ever 
since  last  spring,  with  a  dashing  sort  of  fellow,  whose 
name  is  Dick  Waters;  and  now  to-night  — " 

"Who  flirted  with  him?"  put  in  Jack. 

"  Why,  the  girls  —  Sophy  particularly.  I  don't 
think  Hi  liked  him  much." 


68  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

"  Is  Mr.  Jack  here?"  inquired  Mrs.  Meredith's  maid, 
putting  her  head  into  the  dark  school-room.  • 

"Yes.  What  is  it?"  and  Jack  endeavored  to  slide 
Noll  from  his  lap. 

But  Noll  held  her  place,  whispering,  "  You  shan't 
go  yet.  I  haven't  told  you!" 

"Mrs.  Meredith  says,  will  you  please  hurry  with 
your  dinner,  because  it  is  getting  late  for  Mrs.  Mars- 
ton's  party?" 

"I'll  be  ready  in  less  than  half  an  hour.  And, 
Fanny,  say  that  I  have  dined  already." 

Noll  waited  to  hear  the  girl's  feet  upon  the  stairs, 
and  then  proceeded.  "  Sophy  has  gone  off  with  him. 
to-night,  to  be  married.  Perhaps  they  are  married 
already." 

"  What !     Those  children !     Are  you  sure,  Noll  ?  " 

"  Yes.  It  was  to  be  all  over,  and  Ri  at  home  again 
by  nine." 

"You  don't  mean  that  Ri  countenanced  — " 

"  Well,  these  are  pretty  stories  to  be  telling  right 
before  my  face  and  eyes  !"  snarled  Sophy,  from  a  dis 
tant  corner.  She  had  crept  into  the  house,  and,  wish 
ing  only  to  hide  her  rage  and  mortification,  had  sought 
the  deserted  school-room. 

"  Sophy ! "  exclaimed  both,  in  the  same  breath.  Jack 
quickly  put  Noll  off  his  lap,  and  lighted  the  gas.  It 
was  unmistakably  Sophy,  but  she  was  shrouded  in  her 


DENOUEMENTS.  69 

heavy  cloak,  and  wore  a  hat  —  certainly  unnecessary 
garments  for  her  present  surroundings. 

Jack  laid  a  hand  heavily  on  her  shoulder.  "  Then 
we  have  caught  you  before  you  got  off  for  your  mad 
prank  !  "  he  said,  sternly. 

"  I  haven't  any  mad  prank.  I  have  been  out,  and 
come  back.  I  came  up  here  to  be  quiet  a  while,  and 
this  is  what  I  hear  of  myself." 

"Then  is  it  over?"  asked  Noll,  in  trembling  tones. 
"  Are  you  married  already  ?  " 

"  No,   and  don't  mean  to  be,"  snapped  Sophy. 

Jack  turned  to  Noll,  and  laughed. 

"  Mrs.  Meredith  says,"  began  Fanny  again  at  the 
door. 

"  0,  yes ;  I'm  coming ! "  and  Jack  ran  down  stairs 
to  dress  for  the  evening. 

"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you,  marm,"  Sophy  pro 
ceeded ;  "but  your  suspicions  have  run  so  far  wide' 
of  the  truth  that,  I  hope,  in  future,  you  will  just  mind 
your  own  business." 

"  But  weren't  you    going  to  mary  Dick  Waters  ? " 

"  I  hate  Dick  Waters !  and  don't  you  ever  mention 
his  name  to  me  again  ! "  and  Sophy  sailed  out  of  the 
school-room,  and  went  down  to  make  the  mortifying 
disclosure  that  must  come,  sooner  or  later,  to  Ri. 

Eva  was  startled  when  the  carriage  door  was  so 
quickly  shut  upon  her.  She  could  uot  catch  the  words 


70  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

of  the  hasty  colloquy  ousicle,  nor  find  any  sense  in 
Sophy's  wild  shout,  that  sounded  like  "'tisn'tl."  As 
the  wheels  rattled  over  the  pavement,  and  she  realized 
that  she  was  being  driven  away  by  a  stranger  in  the 
night,  she  knew  not  whither,  a  dumb  sort  of  terror 
came  over  her,  and  her  heart  seemed  to  cease  beating. 
The  coach  suddenly  stopped,  and  the  square  figure, 
which  she  had  thought  very  unlike  her  aunt's  footman, 
sprang  in,  and  took  the  seat  beside  her.  Eva's  very 
breath  seemed  to  stop,  and  the  wheels  again  rolled 
rapidly  on. 

"  You  are  not  afraid  of  me?"  said  Dick,  in  his  kind 
est  tone,  as  he  bent  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  face. 
But  the  long  feather  drooped  between  them,  and  it 
was  very  dark  in  the  carriage.  Dick  only  succeeded 
in  convincing  himself  that  his  lady-love  was  not  weep 
ing.  She  did  not  answer,  nor  attempt  to  do  so.  She 
was  weighing  the  propriety  of  trying  to  open  the  coach 
door  at  her  side,  and  jump  out  between  the  whirling 
wheels,  at  the  risk  of  her  life  and  limbs ;  but  she  decided 
it  would  not  be  wise  to  attempt  such  a  desperate  meas 
ure  at  present. 

"  You  know,  dear,  that  I  have  loved  you  from  the 
time  we  first  met.  I  only  made  this  plan  with  Sophy 
that  she  might  bring  you  to  me." 

"And  what  do  you  want  with  me?"  asked  Eva,  in 
what  was  meant  to  be  a  very  brave  tone,  but  which 
fell  away  on  her  lips  to  a  mere  whisper. 


DENOUEMENTS.  71 

"Just  what  I  told  Sophy,  —  to  celebrate  our  wed 
ding  to-night." 

Eva  wondered  that  Sophy  had  not  had  the  con 
sideration  to  just  mention  to  her  that  such  an  ar 
rangement  was  planned  before  taking  her  out  in  this 
unceremonious  manner. 

"  Is  that  really  what  you  want  of  me  ?  "  she  asked ; 
and  the  slight  relief  she  felt  at  knowing  the  definite 
end  of  this  dark  journey  was  just  perceptible  in  her 
faint  voice. 

"  Truly  it  is,  my  darling,"  replied  Dick,  with  great 
earnestness.  "Will  you  go  with  me  to  the  church?" 

Eva  did  not  see  how  she  was  to  help  going,  at  the 
rate  they  were  then  travelling ;  but  she  did  not  reply. 

"  I  have  it  all  arranged,"  urged  Dick.  "  We  are  to 
go  to  St.  James'  chapel.  The  minister  will  be  there, 
and  one  or  two  witnesses.  We  will  be  married  at 
once,  and  then  I  will  take  you  to  my  home." 

Eva's  fright  was  subsiding.  She  was  hastily  run 
ning  over  the  programme  in  her  own  mind,  and 
arranging  her  safest  way  of  escape.  If  she  refused, 
where  would  he  take  her?  and  what  might  he  not  do 
with  her?  At  the  chapel  would  be  the  minister  and 
witnesses.  They  would  sustain  her  if  she  made  her 
objections  there.  Moreover,  something  in  his  tone 
and  manner  had  seemed  familiar,  and  the  flash  of 
friendly  street  lamps  had  assisted  her  to  recognize  the 
jolly  Dick  Waters. 


72  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  Say  you  will  go,  dearest,  and  make  me  perfectly 
happy,  once  and  forever."  Dick  made  an  impressive 
pause.  Eva  did  not  have  to  feign  the  frightened  little 
quiver  with  which  she  answered,  "  Yes,  I  will  go,"  as 
she  tried  to  draw  away  the  hand  he  had  taken.  But 
the  buoyant  bridegroom  suddenly  caught  her  little 
figure  in  his  arms,  and  aimed  an  ecstatic  kiss  under  the 
drooping  feather.  Poor  Eva  didn't  know  what  made 
her  so  ashamed,  or  why  the  dreadful  color  burned  up 
over  all  her  face,  as  she  hid  it  upon  the  window-sill. 

"There,  don't  feel  badly,"  he  said,  kindly.  "I'm 
sorry  if  you  didn't  like  it."  At  the  same  moment  he 
opened  the  window,  and  called  out,  "  St.  James' "  to 
the  driver.  This  patient  individual,  who  had  been 
driving  around  the  square  in  which  that  edifice  stood 
for  the  last  ten  minutes,  lost  no  time  in  turning  his 
vehicle  about,  and  drawing  it  up  before  the  door, 
which  he  had  just  passed  for  the  third  time. 

The  little  chapel  was  dimly  lighted,  having  evidently 
been  opened  for  this  ceremony  alone.  Eva  did  not 
know  that  she  hung  her  head  as  Dick  took  her  from 
the  coach,  but  she  knew  she  was  cheating  him,  and 
felt  almost  ashamed  of  it,  though  it  was  in  self-defence. 
She  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  man  in  the  dark  entry,  as 
they  passed  through  it.  She  saw-  Mortimer  Salsby 
leaning  idly  against  a  pillar,  as  they  walked  up  the 
aisle ;  but  she  did  not  hear  him  mutter,  "  Silly  young- 


DENOUEMENTS.  73 

sters ! "  behind  them.  Even  Dick  almost  trembled 
when  he  had  drawn  her  hand  firmly  through  his  arm, 
and  was  marching  bravely  toward  the  altar.  He 
stared  straight  before  him,  sternly  resolved  to  do  the 
deed  he  had  undertaken.  He  did  not  dare  glance  at 
the  little  figure  beside  him,  but  he  was  inwardly  glory 
ing  in  the  admiration  Salsby  must  experience  for  Ri's 
beautiful  face.  Eva  longed  to  spring  from  his  side  to 
the  minister,  and  explain  her  position;  but  a  certain 
awe  had  fallen  upon  her  in  the  dim,  empty  church,  and 
Dick  held  fast  her  hand,  as  if  he  half  feared  to  lose 
her  yet.  Mortimer  Salsby  and  Frank  True  stepped 
softly  near  as  the  minister  rose  and  began,  his  prayer. 
How  Eva  trembled  !  And  Dick  was  trembling,  too, 
in  truth ;  but  his  heart  was  very  brave,  and  he  looked 
as  fearless  as  possible,  with  his  two  black  beads  of  eyes 
fixed  upon  a  tassel  of  the  pulpit  cushion,  just  above  his 
head.  He  answered  in  clear  tones,  "I  do,"  when  asked 
if  he  took  this  woman  to  be  his  lawful  wedded  wife. 
Eva's  head  drooped  lower.  What  a  pity  he  had  not 
looked  to  see  who  it  was,  before  he  made  the  promise  ! 
The  similar  question  was  repeated,  in  the  solemn  tones 
of  the  clergyman  to  Eva.  She  half  raised  her  head. 
Accepting  the  motion  as  acquiescence,  he  was  hastening 
on,  when  she  broke  forth,  quickly,  "No;  O,  no!" 

Ah,  the  astonishment  of  that  minister!  The  cold 
horror  that  settled  over  Dick!  And  the  amusement 
of  the  two  bystanders  ! 


74  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  Ri ! "  exclaimed  Dick,  with  smothered  seventy,  as 
he  griped  her  hand  tightly,  ready  even  now  to  assume 
marital  authority,  having  taken  his  part  of  the  vow. 

But  Eva  looked  up  into  his  face,  and  answered, 
"No ;  I  never  said  I  would  marry  you." 

Dick  dropped  the  hand  he  held.  He  grew  white, 
and  red,  and  purple,  as  he  surveyed  his  awkward 
position. 

"  There  has  been  a  mistake,  sir,"  he  said,  turning 
to  the  shocked  minister. 

"  Should  think  there  had,"  said  the  low  voice  of 
Mortimer  Salsby. 

"  I  must  certainly  hope  there  has,"  said  the  clergy 
man,  gravely.  Dick  drew  him  aside  for  private  ex 
planation.  Frank  True  approached  Eva,  who  stood, 
with  downcast  eyes,  leaning  heavily  on  the  front  pew 

rail. 

» 

"  Eva ! " 

"  O,  Frank!"  she  cried,  as  she  caught  his  hand  in 
both  of  hers,  and  burst  into  tears.  All  her  bravery  and 
wise  strength  seemed  to  melt  in  one  moment,  at  sight 
of  his  kind,  familiar  face. 

"Don't  do  that,"  said  Frank,  gently,  but  firmly. 
Eva  recognized  the  good  sense  of  the  advice,  and  again 
stood  silent  and  quiet. 

"How  did  all  this  happen?"  he  asked. 

"I  don't  understand  it  myself;  but  he  must  have 


DENOUEMENTS.  75 

thought  I  was  Ri.  I  happened  to  have  put  on 
her  hat  and  cloak,  and  he  called  me  'Ri,'  when  I 
said  no." 

"  But  how  did  he  get  you  here  ?  " 

"  Sophy  coaxed  me  out  to  go  on  an  errand  with  her 
in  the  carriage.  I  thought  it  was  aunt's  carriage,  and 
Sophy  was  going  too.  But  no  sooner  was  I  inside 
than  the  door  was  shut,  and  I  was  driven  off  alone. 
Then  Dick  got  in,  and  it  didn't  occur  to' me  that  he 
mistook  me  for  Ri.  So,  when  he  insisted  upon  marry 
ing  me,  I  promised  to  go  to  the  church  with  him, 
because  I  thought  I  could  get  away  from  him  here, 
and  I  couldn't  in  the  carriage." 

"Then  you  knew  Dick?" 

"  Only  by  sight.  He  used  to  go  to  school  with  you 
and  Charley." 

Dick  had  partially  explained  to  the  minister,  and 
handsomely  paid  for  the  interrupted  ceremony,  as 
well  as  the  promise  of  secrecy  concerning  the  matters, 
which  he  had  elicited.  He  now  approached  his  friends, 
saying,  with  an  uncomfortable  smile  and  an  attempt 
at  gayety,  "  My  little  plan  for  a  wedding  to-night  has 
miscarried,  and  you  will  have  to  defer  the  congratula 
tions  you,  no  doubt,  intended  to  bestow  upon  me.  I 
hope,  however,  they  will  keep.  Miss  Roberts,  your 
feather  led  me  to  suppose  you  quite  another  person.  I 
thank  you  for  preventing  the  consummation  of  the 


76  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

marrinee,  as  it  was  not  the  one  I  wished  to  make.     I 

O     '  « 

will  take  you  home,  now." 

"Miss  Roberts  need  not  trouble  you  to  do  that, 
unless  she  chooses.  It  would  give  me  pleasure  to  see 
her  safely  home,"  said  Frank. 

"  Thank  you.  I'd  rather  go  with  you,"  Eva  replied, 
gratefully.  Frank  led  her  out,  and  gave  the  coachman 
his  order.  In  the  carriage  Eva  told  him  all  she  knew 
of  the  evening's  strange  events,  and  in  his  brotherly 
companionship  recovered  from  her  nervousness  and 
fright  before  she  reached  her  uncle's  house. 

"  Well,  Waters,  I  have  you  to  thank  for  the  most 
entertaining  joke  I  have  known  this  many  a  day,"  said 
the  smooth,  musical  voice  of  Mortimer  Salsby,  as  he 
fastened  himself  to  Dick's  side,  when  they  reached  the 
street. 

"  O,  never  mind !  the  game  isn't  over  yet,"  said 
Dick,  trying  to  keep  up  his  spirits  under  a  very  heavy 
weight  of  mortification.  How  he  wished  he  had  not 
invited  Salsby  to  the  wedding! 

"Have  you  tried  this  little  farce  many  times  be 
fore?"  asked  Mortimer, -with  gentle  wickedness. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "   growled  Dick. 

"  I  thought  you  went  through  it  like  an  old  actor," 
he  said,  in  conciliating  tones. 

Dick  muttered  an  oath,  and  said  no  more. 

"  I  wonder  where  Eva  is."     Noll  had  looked  through 


DENOUEMENTS.  77 

the  drawing-rooms,  dining-room,  and  halls,  and  popped 
her  head  into  the  library.  She  had  searched  her  moth 
er's  boudoir,  the  school-room,  and  their  own  chamber. 
At  last  she  knocked  at  Hi's  door. 

"What  do  you  want?"  cried  Sophy,  ungraciously. 

Noll  opened  the  door  and  entered  before  replying. 
"  Where's  Eva?  I've  looked  through  the  house,  from, 
end  to  end,  and  from  garret  to  cellar,  and  she  is  no 
where  to  be  found.  Isn't  she  here?" 

Both  girls  were  silent.  Both  were,  in  their  hearts, 
frightened  at  the  thought  of  Eva  driven  away  alone 
with  the  untrusty  Dick,  though  Sophy  persisted  that 
he  would  bring  her  back  fast  enough,  when  he  found 
out  who  she  was.  Sophy  answered  fii'st. 

"No,  she  isn't  here.  Can't  you  see  that  for 
yourself  ?  " 

"  Where  can  she  be  ?  " 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Can't  she  take  care  of 
herself  for  half  an  hour,  without  your  following  her 
round,  as  you  always  do?" 

"  Well,  Sophy,  you  aren't  a  bit  cross  to-night  —  are 
you?"  and  Noll  went  unsatisfied  away. 

"Good  night,"  said  Frank,  on  the  steps.  "I  shall 
call  to-morrow,  if  you  are  willing ;  and  I  hope  you  can 
tell  me  all  about  this  mysterious  affair." 

"  Yes ;  come,  and  I  will  tell  you  all  I  can  learn ; " 
and  Eva  tripped  lightly  in,  as  the  door  was  opened. 


78        EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

"Miss  Eva,  is  it  you!"  exclaimed  the  servant,  in 
astonishment. 

"  You  needn't  say  I  was  out,"  said  Eva,  quietly,  as 
she  passed  on  up  stairs. 

"  Naw,  I  won't ! "  was  the  wondering  reply. 

Eva  went  directly  to  Hi's  room,  to  return  her  un 
fortunate  borrowed  plumage. 

"  O,  Eva,  tell  us  all  about  it ! "  cried  Ri,  sitting  up  in 
bed,  and  reviving  rapidly  at  seeing  her  little  cousin  safe, 
and  apparently  not  nearly  so  much  frightened  as 
herself. 

"What  did  that  wretch  do  and  say?"  asked  Sophy, 
eagerly  and  indignantly. 

"Now,  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is,  girls;"  and  Eva  sat 
down  by  the  register,  and  put  her  little  feet  upon  it. 
"  You  got  me  into  a  very  hard  place  to-night,  and  it  is 
my  right  to  know  all  about  it.  So  you  must  tell  me." 

"  O,  you  have  come  back,  Evvy ! "  said  Noll,  who 
had  heard  her  voice  through  the  Dionysius,  and  come 
into  her  sister's  room  at  once,  to  know  where  she  had 
been  hiding. 

"I  wish  you'd  go  away,  Noll,"  said  Sophy. 

"You  generally  do,"  coolly  replied  Noll. 

"  We  were  going  to  talk  with  Eva,"  urged  Ri,  more 
gently. 

"  Well,  Evvy  and  I  tell  each  other  everything ;  so 
it's  all  the  same  whether  I  am  here  or  not." 


DENOUEMENTS.  79 

"  But  Eva  won't  tell  you  this,"  said  Ri,  "  because  it 
is  an  affair  of  ours,  and  she  has  no  right  to  tell  it." 

"  O,  if  you  mean  about  Sophy's  eloping  with  Dick 
Waters,  I  know  she  meant  to  do  it.  I  suppose  he  has 
changed  his  mind,  she  is  so  savage  about  him  all  at 
once,"  replied  Noll,  hazarding  a  bright  guess  at  a  prob 
lem  she  really  did  not  understand. 

"  I'm  not  savage  about  him,"  cried  Sophy.  "  But  I 
wouldn't  marry  such  a  mean,  saucy,  impudent  fellow 
for  all  the  world ! " 

Noll  laughed,  and  asked  if  she  knew  "  why  Jacky 
wouldn't  eat  his  supper." 

"  Noll,  will  you  go  out  of  this  room  ?  "  said  Sophy, 
calm  with  the  very  fierceness  of  her  rage. 

"  Yes ;  but  if  I  do,  I'll  listen  at  the  key-hole,  or  some 
other  good  place,  and  hear  all  you  say.  When  folks 
propose  getting  married,  the  news  is  public  property, 
and  can't  be  monopolized,"  returned  the  imperturbable 
Noll,  leaning  easily  against  the  mantel. 

"  It  isn't  of  any  use,  Sophy,"  said  Ri.  "  Noll  knows 
so  much  already,  we  had  better  tell  her  the  whole,  or 
she  will  never  believe  that  the  affair  is  really  ended." 

"  Tell  it  yourself,  then  ;  I  won't !  "  and  Sophy 
flounced  out  of  the  room. 

Ri  did  tell  all  about  it,  smoothing  over  Sophy's 
absurd  position  as  kindly  as  she  could.  Then  Eva 
related  her  adventures ;  and  all  promised  that,  as  the 


80  EVA   EGBERTS    EDUCATION". 

matter  was  really  ended,  and  neither  Sophy  nor  Dick 
could  wish  to  resume  their  clandestine  acquaintance 
and  correspondence,  the  affair  should  be  kept  among 
the  four  girls,  and  no  one  of  them  should  divulge  it 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meredith. 


El's  PROSPECTS.  81 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Rl's    PROSPECTS. 

FRANK  called  next  day,  and  Eva  related  to 
him,  under  promise  of  secrecy,  the  story  of  the 
proposed  elopement,  as  she  had  learned  it  from  Ri. 

"I  always  despised  Dick  Waters,"  he  said,  when  he 
had  heard  it  all. 

"  I  used  to  think  he  was  not  thoroughly  good  and 
honorable,  when  I  was  a  little  girl,  and  he  went  to 
school  with  Charley,"  replied  Eva. 

Frank  gave  a  queer  look  of  mingled  surprise  and 
respect  at  the  little  figure  sitting  upright  upon  a  low 
ottoman,  and  scarcely  knew  what  to  say  to  this  wise 
reminiscence. 

Perhaps  Eva  would  not  have  been  allowed  to  enjoy 
Frank's  call  alone,  if  her  aunt  had  not  happened  to  be 
out.  Mrs.  Meredith  would  have  thought  it  far  more 
proper  that  so  young  a  lady  should  receive  her  gentle 
man  friends  in  the  presence  of  her  elders.  But  she 
did  not  know  beforehand  that  he  was  to  come,  and, 
6 


82  EVA   EOBEBTS'   EDUCATION. 

confidence  not  being  a  predominant  trait  in  the  mem 
bers  of  her  household,  she  never  heard  of  it  afterward. 
She  was  very  busy,  at  this  time,  with  her  own  anxious 
maternal  plans  and  arrangements.  The  season  had 
opened  brilliantly,  and  every  evening  saw  her,  accom 
panied  by  Jack,  gracing  the  parlors  of  some  elegant 
mansion,  or  displaying  her  costly  wardrobe  and  still 
handsome  face  at  the  opera.  She  had  already  com 
menced  her  campaign,  in  behalf  of  her  oldest  daughter, 
with  great  care  and  address.  She  had  shown  remarka 
ble  affability  to  "that  elegant  young  Salsby,"  who, 
fully  recognizing  her  object,  received  her  attentions 
with  politeness,  and  laughed  at  them  in  his  heart.  She 
had  also  patronized,  though  to  a  less  degree,  "  a  cer 
tain  young  Waters,  who  showed  her  great  deference 
and  politeness,"  and  "an  oldish  Scotch  gentleman, Don 
aldson  by  name,  a  bachelor,  and  very  wealthy,  who 
was  passing  the  winter  in  New  York,  and  was  regarded 
as  something  of  a  lion."  Mrs.  Meredith  had  given  the 
above  description  of  the  three  gentlemen  she  had  al 
ready  selected  as  eligible  parties  for  her  daughter  Hi. 
Hi  heard  and  acquiesced  with  only  the  slight  mental 
reservation  of  placing  the  Scotch  gentleman  before 
Dick  "Waters  on  the  list,  as  she  had  acquired  a  dis 
gust  for  that  young  man  as  strong  as  any  feeling,  ex 
cept  fear,  that  she  had  ever  experienced. 

It  was  just  one  week  before  the  day  set  by  Mrs. 


El's  PROSPECTS.  83 

Meredith  for  her  entertainment,  that  Mrs.  Cobden  gave 
hers,  and  Clara  Waters  came  upon  the  stage  of  fash 
ionable  life.  Thus  it  followed  that  Miss  Waters  was, 
of  course,  included  in  Mrs.  Meredith's  invitation  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cobden ;  and  Miss  Waters  was  also 
privately  instructed,  by  her  brother  Dick,  to  "  strike 
up  an  intimacy  with  Miss  Meredith  as  fast  as  possi 
ble."  « 

0,  that  week  before  Hi's  party,  when  the  seam 
stress  and  dress-maker  were  finishing  off  such  piles 
of  elegant  things  for  Ri!  How  Sophy  sighed  over 
them,  and  wished  she,  too,  were  coming  out!  Though 
she  continually  ignored  the  tenth  commandment,  it 
was  not  quite  all  envy  that  made  this  a  particularly 
unhappy  time  for  her.  Thus  far  in  their  lives,  Ri  and 
Sophy  had  been  always  together.  They  had  shared 
all  their  joys  and  sorrows.  Now  this  bond  was  to  be 
broken.  Ri  was  to  enter  a  new  life,  where  Sophy  was 
forbidden.  Sophy  could  not  follow  until  Ri  should 
have  stepped  out  of  this  fairy  land  of  young  ladyhood 
through  the  destined  door  of  matrimony ;  for  Mrs. 
Meredith  would  not  think  of  allowing  a  younger 
daughter  to  come  out  until  the  older  one  was  pro 
vided  for,  in  a  home  of  her  own.  The  girls  could  never 
again  be  to  each  other  what  they  had  been. 

Sophy,  Noll,  and  Eva  had  all  volunteered,  as  maids, 
for  the  pleasant  task  of  dressing  Ri  on  the  important 


84  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION*. 

ni<jht  of  her  first  appearance.  Mrs.  Meredith  crime 
with  her  own  mard,  having  finished  an  early  toilet 
for  herself,  in  order  to  put  the  last  touches  to  Hi's  cos 
tume.  Very  beautiful  was  Ri,  as  she  stood  for  inspec 
tion  by  the  interested  and  admiring  little  group,  under 
the  full  glare  of  the  gas,  draped  in  the  rich  folds  of  u 
delicate  fawn-colored  silk,  edged  with  gauzy  laces.  Her 
fair  round  arms  and  neck  were  plump  with  the  fresh 
ness  of  youth  and  health,  her  cheeks  rosy,  and  her 
soft  eyes  shining  with  excitement. 

"You  are  right  out  lovely!"  cried  Noll,  with  enthu 
siasm.  "If  I  were  only  some  nice  young  man,  I'd 
fall  in  love  with  you  forthwith  —  smash!" 

"  Fanny,  bring  the  pearl  powder  frgm.  my  boudoir," 
said  Mrs.  Meredith,  who  had  been  critically  examining 
Ri.  "Your  neck,  dear,  is  not  so  white  as  your  shoul 
ders.  It  must  have  been  tanned  a  little  at  the  sea-shore 
last  summer." 

"You  are  not  going  to  paint  her!"  cried  Eva. 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  child !  You  would  not  have  her 
looking  as  if  her  neck  were  dirty  —  would  you?  " 

"  Heigh-ho ! "  grimaced  Noll.  "  I  hope  my  character 
is  above  the  suspicion  of  dirt,  if  my  skin  should  shade 
a  little  darker  in  one  place  than  another." 

"  It  would  never  do  to  put  pearl  powder  on  you," 
retorted  Sophy,  "unless  it  were  put  all  over  you." 

"  Glad  of  it,"  said  Noll. 


El's    PROSPECTS.  85 

As  Mrs.  Meredith,  followed  by  Ri,  swept  down  to 
the  drawing-rooms,  Eva  looked  half  sadly  after  them, 
with  a  smile  and  a  sigh  together. 

"Tired,  Evvy?"  asked  Noll. 

"  No ;  I  was  thinking." 

"  It  won't  be  your  time  for  a  long  while  to  come," 
said  Sophy,  decisively. 

"It  wasn't  that.     I  was  wondering  if  it  paid." 

"I  think  it  pays  for  Ri,  because  she  is  beautiful,"  re 
plied  Noll.  "It  is  worth  while  to  spend  time  on  dress 
when  you  are  a  success  in  the  end.  It  would  pay  for 
you  Evvy.  Wouldn't  you  make  a  beauty  in  pale  blue 
silk,  with  white  laces  ?  But  for  Sophy  and  me,  it 
would  be  just  the  height  of  folly." 

Sophy  -looked  wrathful,  but  held  her  peace. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  hardly  worth  while  for  any  one, 
there  are  so  many  things  of  more  consequence,"  said 
Eva. 

"What  things?"  snapped  Sophy. 

"  O,  I'd  rather  live  with  Charley,  and  help  him  work 
at  something."  • 

"I'm  not  so  fond  of  work,"  replied  Sophy.  "I'd 
rather  be  rich,  and  enjoy  myself.  I  shall  be  so  glad 
when  ^can  go  into  society,  and  see  and  hear  all  that 
is  going  on,  and  flirt,  and  be  admired,  and  — " 

"Now,  Sophy,"  interrupted  Noll,  "I  want  to  ask  you 
one  common-sense  question,  just  there.  What  do  you 


86  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

expect  to  to  be  admired  for?  You  aren't  beautiful, 
and  you  certainly  aren't  amiable  — " 

"  Noll  Meredith,  hold  your  tongue  !  I  look  as  well 
as  you  do,  and  I'm  a  deal  better  mannered,"  retorted 
Sophy,  angrily. 

Noll  ran  off  laughing  to  her  own  room,  whither  Eva 
soon  followed.  The  younger  girls  spent  a  dull  even 
ing  in  their  rooms,  where  they  could  not  help  hearing 
nil  the  joyful  sounds  of  the  company  down  stairs.  So 
phy  was  looking  forward  to  the  treat  of  hearing  all 
about  it  when  Hi  came  to  bed,  and  so  went  early  to 
sleep,  as  Ri  had  promised  to  wake  her  and  tell  over  all 
that  had  happened. 

Midway  the  long  drawing-rooms  stood  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Meredith,  receiving  their  guests  and  presenting  their 
daughter.  Group  after  group  passed  up,  exchanged 
greetings,  spoke  a  word  of  welcome  to  Ri,  and  moved 
on  to  make  way  for  the  next  in  order.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cobden  made  their  stiff  speeches,  and  Clara  Waters,  a 
roly-poly,  dimpled  little  girl,  seized  Ri's  hand  to  exclaim, 
"I'm  so  glad  you  have  corne  out  this  winter  with  me! 
It  will  be  so  delightful  to  meet  you  everywhere !  It 
seems  as  if  I  had  known  you  for  years."  To  all  these 
cordial  remarks  Ri  replied  only  with  a  polite  "  thank 
you,"  and  what  Noll  called  her  "  company  smile."  She 
could  not  say  more,  for  there  was  Dick  hurriedly  mur 
muring,  "I  hope,  Miss  Meredith,  we  resume  our  acquaint- 


El's    PEOSPECTS.  87 

ance  under  more  favorable  auspices."  To  this  also  she 
replied  with  the  "  company  smile,"  and  a  faint  "  thank 
you,"  though  feeling  that  it  was  not  exactly  the  answer 
she  would  have  wished  to  make.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dana 
came  next.  Ri's  meaningless  smile  warmed  a  little 
under  Mrs.  Dana's  pleasant  words  and  sweet  face.  But 
it  was  only  to  grow  too  warm,  and  bring  a  flush  upon 
her  forehead,  as  Mr.  Salsby  followed  them  and  was  in 
troduced.  She  could  not  help  the  shy  admiration  that 
peeped  from  her  eyes,  hiding  under  their  long  lash 
es,  as  she  saw  his  handsome  face,  elegant  dress  and 
figure,  and  remembered  that  this  was  the  man  whom 
her  mother  had  privately  instructed  her  she  should 
use  all  her  efforts  to  secure  for  a  husband.  Mortimer 
did  not  fail  to  observe  all  this,  nor  to  understand  its 
meaning.  He  was  quite  used  to  this  sort  of  thing, 
and  only  smiled  a  smile  that  had  one  meaning  to  him 
self  and  another  to  the  gay  company  around  him. 
New  and  strange  faces  followed,  and  Ri  continued, 
with  her  polite  "  thank  yous  "  and  stereotyped  smile,  to 
answer  them  all  alike,  till  her  attention  was  arrested 
by  hearing  her  mother  pronounce  distinctly  at  her 
ear,  "  Mr.  Donaldson,  my  dear ; "  and  her  little  gloved 
hand  was  imprisoned  for  a  moment  in  that  of  a  stout, 
ruddy-faced,  elderly  gentleman.  Of  course  it  was  not 
at  all  elegant  to  shake  hands,  and  it  was  none  of  Ri's 
intention  to  do  so.  But  Mrs.  Meredith  smiled  benign- 


88  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

ly  on  the  blunder,  and  Ri  blushed  uncomfortably,  and 
again  said,  "  Thank  you,"  as  the  gentleman  expressed 
his  pleasure  that  she  had  emerged  from  seclusion  be 
fore  it  was  too  late  for  him  to  have  the  gratification 
of  meeting  her.  There  were  but  few  more  arrivals. 
As  Ri  moved  from  her  position  of  reception  to  mingle 
with  the  guests,  Mr.  Donaldson  addressed  her,  to  ex 
press  his  admiration  of  some  Scottish  scenes  he  had  dis 
covered  in  a  book  of  engravings,  and  detained  her  to 
point  out  and  explain  hidden  beauties  in  many  views 
with  which  he  was  familiar.  Ri  listened  with  attention, 
and  even  well-feigned  interest,  though  she  privately 
regarded  engravings  as  a  polite  nuisance.  She  won 
dered  where  he  found  the  book,  for  she  was  sure  she 
had  never  seen  it  in  the  drawing-room  before.  She 
caught  an  approving  smile  from  her  mother,  and  sud 
denly  observed  that  the  book  was  quite  new.  She 
bethought  herself  that  engravings  might  be  as  good 
as  anything  else  to  make  talk  about.  Perhaps  Mr. 
Donaldson  only  used  these  for  a  peg  to  hang  conversa 
tion  upon ;  in  fact,  as  she  observed  his  labored  remarks 
and  evident  pleasure  in  all  her  senseless  replies,  she 
concluded  it  must  be  so,  and  with  a  very  natural  and 
amiable  desire  to  please,  exerted  herself  more  in  her 
part  of  the  conversation.  Mr.  Donaldson  continued 
with  renewed  vigor  to  harp  upon  Scotch  scenery,  seem 
ing  quite  unable  to  suggest  a  new  subject.  Ri  was 


El's    PROSPECTS.  89 

secretly  wondering  why  Mr.  Salsby  had  not  come  to 
speak  with  her  again,  and  hoping  he  was  delaying  in 
order  to  take  her  down  to  supper.  Just  as  she  was  be 
coming  unutterably  bored  with  the  old  Scotch  gentle 
man,  and  with  all  Scotland  generally,  Clara  Waters  in 
terrupted  them  by  dragging  Ri  away  to  ask  the  names 
of  some  flowers  in  one  of  the  vases  in  the  hall.  Under 
the  vase  stood  Dick,  who  entered  with  great  apparent  in 
terest  into  the  flower  question.  Then  Clara's  attention 
was  caught  by  some  one  in  the  drawing-rooms,  and  she 
fluttered  away  and  left  them  alone.  This  was  just 
what  Dick  had  wanted.  He  had  devoted  himself  ^o 
Mrs.  Meredith  since  the  eventful  night  of  the  20th 
of  November,  and  had  concluded  from  her  manner 
toward  him  that  she  knew  nothing  of  the  insult  he 
had  given  Sophy,  and  the  daring  impertinence  he  had 
planned  for  Ri.  Yet  it  was  not  without  some  dread 
that  he  had  accepted  her  invitation  to  make  the  ac 
quaintance  of  her  daughter  upon  regular  conventional 
ground.  Pie  still  cherished  his  former  determination 
to  marry  Ri,  and  hoped  she  would  soon  be  prevailed 
upon  to  overlook  the  past,  and  begin  again  as  friends 
in  new  and  honest  standing. 

"  I  am  more  glad  than  you  know  to  be  allowed  to 
meet  you  again,  Ri,"  he  said,  bending  his  head  over 
the  flowers.  "I  hope  it  was  not  without  your  kind 
consent  that  I  received  my  invitation  here." 


90  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"Ma  sent  invitations  where  she  thought  right.  I 
did  not  know  much  about  it." 

"Then  I  may  at  least  infer  that  your  mother  does 
not  regard  me  with  displeasure  or  disapproval?" 

"  She  does  not  know  what  I  know  about  you." 

"  You  will  forgive  it,  dear,  because  you  .know  why  I 
did  it.  A  woman  can  be  lenient  to  the  impulsive 
errors  of  a  man  who  loves  her,"  returned  this  infatu 
ated  youth,  who  thought,  because  he  was,  or  s.upposed 
himself  to  be,  in  love  with  one  wroman,  every  sort  of 
impertinence  to  another  was  to  be  immediately  for 
given  him.  He  did  not  dream  that  Ri  resented  his 
treatment  of  Sophy  as  thoroughly  as  if  the  insult  had 
been  to  herself;  and  Ri  did  not  dare  tell  him  so,  it 
would  have  been  so  dreadfully  impolite !  So  she  only 
blushed  up  redly  to  the  shining  waves  of  her  pretty 
auburn  hair,  cast  down  her  eyes  with  their  long  lashes, 
and  was  silent,  looking  a  hundred  times  prettier  in  her 
anger  and  confusion,  but  only  making  Dick  more  mad 
ly  in  love,  and  more  fully  convinced  of  her  forgiveness 
and  good  will. 

"I  shall  claim  the  honor  of  leading  you  down  to 
supper,  for  '  auld  acquaintance'  sake,' "  Dick  resumed, 
in  a  lighter  tone.  "  You  will  not  refuse  it?  " 

Ri's  vexation  here  found  polite  vent.  "  Thank  you  ; 
but  I  am  to  go  to  supper  with  brother  Jack." 

"Is  that  irrevocably  so  arranged?" 


El's    PEOSPECTS.  91 

"O,  yes;  ma  would  not  have  it  any  other  way," 
replied  Ri,  supporting  her  first  polite  fib  with  a  second, 
finding,  as  is  usually  the  case,  that  "one  lie  will  not 
stand  alone." 

"  Not  if  I  were  to  beg  the  favor  of  her  myself?  " 

"  To  attempt  that  would  be  to  place  altogether  too 
great  faith  in  your  powers  of  persuasion;"  and  Ri 
moved  toward  the  drawing-room,  feeling  that  she  had 
been  guilty  of  a  great  indecorum  by  remaining  so  long 
in  the  hall.  Dick  offered  her  his  arm,  which  she  would 
have  gladly  declined,  only  it  would  be  rude.  They 
mingled  with  the  guests  in  the  bright  and  heated  par 
lors;  but  Ri  soon  escaped  from  Dick,  and  went  to 
find  Jack. 

"  I  want  to  go  down  to  supper  with  you,"  she  whis 
pered,  close  to  Jack's  ear. 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry !  You  will  have  some  gallant 
companion  yet." 

"  But  I'd  rather  go  with  you." 

"  Nonsense  !  That  wouldn't  do  at  all.  I  am  to  wait 
upon  Miss  Schneider,  supposed  to  be  the  lioness  of  the 
evening,  next  to  yourself.  I'll  draw  you  into  the 
neighborhood  of  Salsby.  Then,  if  you  engage  him  in 
talk,  he  will  take  you  down." 

"But  I  don't  want  to  do  so,  Jack,"  faltered  Ri, 
growiag  flushed  and  anxious,  and  half  ready  to  cry 
at  the  failure  of  her  little  ruse. 


92  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"There,  don't  get  flustered.  Here  comes  mother: 
she'll  settle  it  all  for  you;"  and  Jack  slid  away  to 
ensconce  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  the  young  lady 
upon  whom  he  intended  to  bestow  himself  for  the 
ceremony  of  supper.  Mrs.  Meredith  approached,  close 
ly  followed  by  Mr.  Donaldson. 

"Where  have  you  been  hiding  yourself,  my  dear? 
I  have  been  looking  for  you." 

"  I  did  not  know  I  was  hiding,"  said  Ri,  smiling 
naturally  for  once,  and  taking  real  comfort  in  looking 
into  her  mother's  familiar  face. 

"Mrs.  Meredith  tells  me,"  put  in  Mr.  Donaldson, 
"  that  the  company  are  already  passing  out  for  refresh 
ments,  and  I  have  begged  her  to  bring  me  to  you,  that 
I  might  have  the  pleasure  of  being  your  escort." 

Poor  Hi  did  not  know  how  to  answer.  Jack  had 
repudiated  all  her  claims  upon  him.  She  was  so  anx 
ious  to  decline  the  honor,  she  came  near  saying  that 
"  Mr.  Waters  had  bespoken  that  positiqn,"  but  remem 
bered  that  she  had  refused  it  to  him.  She  saw  her 
mother's  glance  of  calm  displeasure  at  her  silence,  and 
took  despairing  refuge  in  her  polite  "thank  you,"  and 
"  company  smile."  Slipping  her  little  hand  within 
the  offered  arm  of  the  excellent  gentleman,  she 
allowed  him  to  lead  her  away  to  the  dining-rooms. 
As  she  took  the  plate  of  ice  and  cake  he  brought,  her 
eyes  met  an  angry  and  reproachful  glance  from  Dick 


El'S  PBOSPECTS.  93 

Waters.  He,  in  emulation  of  her  sisterly  devotion, 
had  waited  upon  Clara,  very  much  to  the  disgust  of 
that  young  lady,  who  imagined  that  nothing  but 
J3ick's  interference  had  prevented  her  from  receiving 
the  attendance  of  Mr.  Salsby.  Mr.  Salsby,  having  just 
missed  of  the  company  of  Miss  Schneider,  who  seemed 
quite  happy  in  Jack's  attentive  care,  had  cast  away  his 
very  desirable  society  upon  a  little,  pale,  delicate  wo 
man,  scarcely  larger  than  a  child  ;  though,  to  judge  by 
her  face,  her  years  must  have  reached  the  frightful  sum 
of  quarter  of  a  century.  Having  made  this  sacrifice, 
Mr.  Salsby  followed  it  up  bravely  by  exerting  his 
fascinating  conversational  powers  to  their  best,  and 
found  himself  unexpectedly  repaid  for  his  trouble. 
Lucy  Starr's  modest  and  quiet  little  face  lighted  up ; 
she  forgot  her  shyness  in  the  anecdotes  of  foreign 
life  with  which  he  at  first  entertained  her,  and  was 
soon  relating,  eagerly,  stories  of  her  own  more  limited 
travels.  Before  their  return  to  the  drawing-room,  she 
had  mentally  decided  that  he  was  the  most  delightful 
gentleman  she  had  ever  met ;  while  he  confessed  to 
himself  that  Miss  Starr  was  positively  refreshing  —  a 
woman  who  seemed  to  have  not  the  least  intention  of 
making  an  impression  upon  his  masculine  admiration. 
After  supper  dancing  commenced.  Jack  good-humored- 
ly,  but  rather  officiously,  contrived  to  present  Morti 
mer  Salsby  for  Ri's  first  partner ;  and  Ri,  who  did  not 


94  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

know  that  Mr.  Salsby  had  not  begged  the  privilege, 
felt  it  quite  a  triumph,  as  she  whirled  through  the 
dance  at  his  side,  listening  to  his  easy  chat,  amid  the 
music  and  motion,  and  giving  her  half  shy,  but  very, 
polite,  little  replies.  Then  Dick  Waters  claimed  her ; 
and  Ri  did  not  know  that,  over  her  vexation  at  his 
only  half-concealed  admiration  and  devotion,  her  quiet 
and  polite  demeanor  appeared  exactly  the  same  that 
it  was  with  her  previous  partner.  Ri  had  not  the  gift 
of  expressing  fine  shades  of  feeling.  It  is  just  possi 
ble,  however,  that  if  she  had  possessed  feelings  of  a 
stronger  and  warmer  nature,  they  would  have  made 
themselves  more  apparent.  Mr.  Dana  begged  a  dance 
with  her,  while  his  wife  was  promised  to  Jack.  After 
ward  he  seated  Ri  beside  her,  and  soon  had  wandered 
off  and  left  them  together. 

"  How  glad  I  am  to  sit  down ! "  said  Ri. 

"I  should  think  you  would  be,"  replied  Mrs.  Dana, 
with  one  of  her  old,  sweet  smiles,  though  her  eyes 
were  gazing  sadly  down  the  vista  of  the  bright  draw 
ing-rooms. 

"  You  look  very  tired,"  said  Ri,  gently.  "  I  hope 
you  are  not  so." 

"No,  I  am  not  tired,"  she  replied.  "I  was  remem 
bering  the  last  time  I  was  in  this  house." 

"  Before  we  came  here  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  came  to  see  Mrs.  Roberts,  just  before  they 
moved  away." 


El's  PBOSPECTS.  95 

"Mr.  Roberts  was  my  uncle." 

"I  did  not  know  that.  Then  can  you  tell  me  what 
has  become  of  your  cousins,  Charley  and  Eva?  Their 
uncle,  Mr.  Martyn,  called  upon  me,  but  he  had  then 
formed  no  definite  plan  for  them.  I  have  heard 
nothing  from  them  since  they  left  Campfields." 

"  Why,  Eva  is  here  with  us.  .  She  goes  to  school 
with  Noll  and  Sophy,  and  is  to  stay  here  till  she 
finishes  her  education." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  When  I  call  upon  your 
mother  and  you,  I  hope  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  her  again.  I  knew  her  mother  very  well,  and 
also  Charley  and  Eva,  some  years  ago.  Will  you 
please  give  my  love  to  Eva,  and  say  that  I  hope  she 
has  not  quite  forgotten  Mary  True." 

"  I  will  tell  her.  You  were  going  to  speak  of  the 
last  time  you  were  here." 

"  No,  there  is  nothing  to  tell  about  that.  It  was 
only  a  little  errand  that  called  me  here,  a  day  or  two 
before  Mrs.  Roberts  left." 

Mr.  Dana  returned  for  his  wife,  and  they  took  their 
leave.  The  crowd  of  guests  had  thinned  perceptibly. 
Clara  Waters  again  clutched  Ri's  hand  to  whisper, 
"Good  night,  you  beautiful  darling;  I  wish  there 
weren't  so  many  folks  here,  so  I  could  kiss  you;" 
and  receive  another  of  Ri's  smiles  and  "thank  yous." 
Mr.  Donaldson  bestowed  upon  her  an  impressive, hand- 


96  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

shake ;  Mortimer  Salsby  made  his  most  graceful  bow, 
and  hoped  the  pleasure  he  had  experienced  to-night 
might  find  many  repetitions  in  the  future  —  leaving  Ri 
a  little  doubtful  whether  it  would  be  safe  to  ascribe  to 
herself  the  origin  of  all  his  delight.  Dick  Waters 
whispered,  "Good  night,  darling,"  just  at  her  ear; 
and  a  dozen  more  adieus  were  made  in  varying  fash 
ion,  and  in  every  shade  of  cordiality.  When  the  latest 
guest  was  gone,  weary  Ri  crept  up  to  her  room.  So 
phy  sprang  up  the  moment  she  softly  opened  the 
door,  and  sleepily  broke  out,  "  Tell"  me  all  about  it, 
and  I'll  help  you  undress,"  before  she  was  well  awake. 
Then  rubbing  open  her  heavy  eyes,  she  set  herself  at 
work  to  disrobe  Ri,  while  she  half  drowned  her  in 
questions  about  every  imaginable  thing  her  fertile 
brain  could  conceive.  Ri  finally  dropped  asleep  amid 
the  wordy  shower,  and  refused  to  rouse  with  any  of 
Sophy's  mulgings.  So  the  story  of  the  great  party 
had  to  be  deferred  till  some  future  day. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  97 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CONSIDERATIONS. 

winter  passed  swiftly,  and  for  Noll  and  Eva 
--  very  quietly.  They  shared  their  work  and  pleas 
ure  at  school,  and  both  were  very  happy  in  the  new  and 
delightful  experience  of  a  perfect  sisterly  companion 
ship  and  affection.  Eva  felt  that  Noll  could  join  her  in 
many  things  where  her  brother  Charley  could  not;  and 
Noll  rejoiced  in  finding,  at  last,  a  sister  who  was  not 
continually  reproving  her  manners,  and  who,  moreover, 
as  she  tersely  expressed  it,  "had  sense."  Sophy  kept 
herself  in  an  unamiable  excitement  and  discontented 
fever  by  eagerly  questioning  Ri  of  all  that  happened 
in  her  gay  life.  To  Noll  and  Eva,  Ri  seemed  as  far 
out  of  their  world  as  Mrs.  Meredith  herself.  Evening 
after  evening,  Mrs.  Meredith,  with  Ri  and  Jack,  was 
whirled  away  in  her  carriage,  returning  only  in  the 
early  hours  of  the  morning.  Then  Ri,  who  was 
always  wakened  by  Sophy  when  she  dressed  for 
school,  to  rehearse  the  events  of  the  evening,  was  glad 
7 


98  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

of  a  late  extra  nap,  and  seldom  came  down  till  long 
after  the  girls  were  away  at  their  lessons.  When 
school  was  done,  and  they  returned,  it  was  usually  to 
find  Mrs.  Meredith  and  Ri  out  in  the  carriage,  either 
shopping  or  calling  among  their  fashionable  acquaint 
ances.  It  used  to  be  the  custom  for  the  family  to 
meet  at  dinner.  But  this  winter  it  had  fallen  into  dis 
use.  Mr.  Meredith  was  always  punctually  in  his  place 
at  the  table,  as  were  also  Noll  and  Eva;  but  beyond 
these  the  appearance  of  the  nembers  of  the  household 
was  very  uncertain.  Jack,  who  devoted  his  business 
hours  to  the  study  of  meclicine,'was  often  detained  by 
some  hospital  case,  or  other  important  chance  for  in 
struction.  Mrs.  Meredith  and  Ri  generally  dined 
earlier,  in  order  to  give  the  dinner  hour,  with  those 
following,  to  their  elaborate  toilets;  while  Sophy 
frequently  dined  with  them,  that  she  might  be  pres 
ent  and  assist  at  those  ceremonies.  Poor  Sophy  was 
racked  with  trying  to  live  two  lives.  Forced  to  con 
tinue  at  school,  which  had  now  no  interest  for  her, 
she  half  learned  her  lessons  in  a  mechanical  and  spirit 
less  manner,  while  her  heart  was  full  of  the  bright 
scenes  of  Ri's  gay  life,  of  which  she  heard  and  saw 
just  enough  to  whet  her  thirst  for  more.  Ri's  debut 
was  a  great  success.  She  was  flattered  and  admired 
to  her  heart's  content;  and  more,  even  to  the  content 
of  her  proud  and  ambitious  mamma.  When  Mrs. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  99 

Dana  caller!,  after  the  party,  she  inquired  also  for  Eva. 
Ri  had  forgotten  to  give  her  message;  so  the  meeting 
was  a  delightful  surprise  to  Eva.  They  had  a  very 
happy  little  talk  about  Eva's  own  dear  mother.  Mrs. 
Dana  could  tell  her  many  little  events  of  her  mother's 
life  that  gave  Eva  pleasure  to  hear,  while  she,  in  re 
turn,  recited  quite  a  little  history  of  their  life  at  Camp- 
fields.  Now  the  season  of  Le-nt  was  at  hand.  The 
festivities  of  the  winter  were  almost  over.  Mrs.  Mere 
dith  attended  a  fashionable  Episcopal  church,  and  in 
Lent  never  failed  to  go  thither  once  a  day,  at  least, 
arrayed  in  her  most  becoming  and  costly  robes.  Her 
piety  saved  her  from  a  great  deal  of  ennui,  and  atten 
dance  at  church  gave  her,  at  this  time,  the  one  necessi 
ty  of  her  life,  viz.,  something  to  dress  for. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  Lent  that  Mr.  Donaldson 
asked  Mr.  Meredith's  consent  for  his  betrothal  to  Ri. 
lie  had  not  spoken  to  the  young  lady  herself,  but 
deemed,  according  to  European  fashion,  that  her  fa 
ther's  approval  was  all  that  would  be  required.  Mr. 
Meredith  offered  no  objection  if  his  daughter  con 
sented.  Mr.  Donaldson  was  an  excellent  man,  and 
from  a  prudent  point  of  view,  altogether  desirable ;  but 
having  lived  a  bachelor  to  the  age  of  forty,  he  did  not 
find  it  easy  to  go  courting  a  girl  of  eighteen.  Seeing 
that  something  in  this  line  was  expected  of  him,  he 
called  upon  Mrs.  Meredith,  and  laid  the  matter  before 


100  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

her,  asking  her  aid  and  assistance  in  his  favor,  with  the 
little  beauty  whose  company  he  wished  to  secure  in 
his  lonely  old  Scotch  castle. 

"  O,  but,  Mr.  Donaldson,  I  could  not  think  of  letting 
you  carry  off  Ri  to  your  dismal  great  castle,  to  stay 
forever !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Meredith,  in  well-feigned 
alarm.  "  You  must  positively  promise  to  bring  her  to 
New  York  every  winter." 

"Perhaps,  madam,  you  would  prefer,  sometimes, 
spending  a  season  with  her  ainong  the  Scotch  High 
lands.  There  is  a  great  deal  to  interest  one  there." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it.  But  it  would  be  too  dreadful 
to  me  if  I  must  think  of  Ri's  going  away  where  I 
could  not  see  her  for  a  whole  year." 

"I  thought  —  that  is,  I  hoped  —  to  spend  next  winter 
in  travelling  through  Europe,  returning  for  the  sum 
mer  to  my  own  home  in  the  Grampian  Hills,  where,  I 
am  sure,  from  the  pleasure  your  daughter  has  evinced 
in  what  little  I  have  been  able  to  tell  her  of  Scotch 
scenery  and  customs,  she  will  find  much  to  interest 
and  delight  her.  And  I  hoped  that,  before  the  novelty 
should  be  quite  worn  off,  she  would  have  found  suffi 
cient  to  fix  her  affections,  and  make  my  home  also 
home  to  her." 

It  was  a  kind,  fatherly  speech.  Mrs.  Meredith  felt 
that  this  man  would  be  very  good  to  Ri,  and  she  re 
solved  to  use  all  efforts  to  forward  his  suit.  She 


CONSIDERATIONS.  101 

promised  him  this,  and  Mr.  Donaldson  departed  leav 
ing  his  CQurtship  entirely  in  the  hands  of  this  loving 
mamrna,  convinced  that  she  would  do  for  him  better 
than  he  could  for  himself.  And  she  did. 

"  Ki,  dear,  we  have  had  a  proposal  of  marriage  for 
you,'4  began  Mrs.  Meredith,  as  they  sat  together. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  married  yet.  I've  only  had  one 
season  out,  you  know,"  replied  Ri,  bracing  herself 
against  the  announcement  of  Dick  Waters'  name  ;  for 
she  could  think  of  no  one  else  who  had  shown  her  suf 
ficient  favor  to  warrant  such  a  move. 

"  Your  marriage  would  make  no  difference  about 
that.  You  could  still  appear  in  society  in  even  better 
position  than  you  do  now.  I  have  stipiilated  that  you 
shall  not  be  mewed  up  out  of  the  world." 

"  O,  ma,  who  can  it  be  ?  "  for  Ri  was  sure  no  such 
stipulation  would  have  been  deemed  necessary  with 
Dick  Waters. 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  ?  Mr.  Donaldson,  to  be 
sure.  Has  he  never,  in  any  way,  demonstrated  his 
feelings  to  you?" 

"  No,  indeed ;  nothing  of  that  sort.  He  is  dreadfully 
old,"  faltered  Ri. 

"  Not  so  very  old.  And  he  is  a  very  good,  kind  man. 
I  consider  it  a  very  fortunate  match  for  you." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  marry  him,"  said  Ri,  decidedly.' 

"  Do  not  speak  too  hastily,  my  dear.     Let  us  have  a 


102  EVA  KOBEBTS'  EDUCATION. 

little  talk  about  it.  You  shall  tell  me  all  the  reasons 
you  have  against  it,  and  I  will  tell  you  mine  for  it." 

This  seemed  very  fair,  but  Ri  was  silent. 

"  You  say  he  is  old ;  bu-t  I  feel  all  the  more  willing 
ness  to  intrust  you  to  his  care  for  that  very  reason ; 
and  twenty  years'  difference  becomes  narrower  as  you 
grow  older." 

"He  doesn't  live  in  New  York,"  ventured  Ri. 

"  No.  That  will  be  one  of  the  delightful  things  in 
the  connection.  He  proposes  to  spend  next  year  in 
travelling  through  Europe  with  you ;  then  the  summer 
in  his  castle  in  the  Highlands ;  and  he  will  bring  you 
.  here  to  New  York  the  following  winter.  Don't  you 
see?  One  season  at  the  courts  of  Europe,  and  then 
one  here  among  your  old  friends,  who  will  lionize  you 
half  to  death ! "  And  Mrs.  Meredith  paused,  out  of 
breath,  and  beamed  exultantly  upon  her  daughter,  as 
if  to  be  lionized  half  to  death  were  a  particularly  de 
sirable  fate. 

Ri  seemed  to  think  it  so,  too.  She  looked  up  with 
brightened  face,  as  she  replied,  half  yielding,  "%Yes, 
that  would  be  glorious." 

"What's  glorious?"  asked  Noll,  dropping  upon  a 
chair,  and  looking  curiously  into  Ri's  glowing  face. 

"  I  think  Ri  has  so  nearly  decided  that  we  may  tell 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Meredith,  eager  to  announce  a  betroth 
al,  and  considering  Noll  a  safe  hearer,  even  if  it  should 
prove  not  quite  a  certainty. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  103 

"  I've  not  decided  —  indeed  I've  not ! "  cried  Ri,  her 
face  asssuming  its  troubled  expression. 

"What  further  objection  can  you  urge? "said  her 
mother,  with  some  show  of  vexation. 

"O,  I  don't  want  to  —  he  isn't  at  all  the  sort  of 
man  —  " 

"  What  is  it,  Hi  ?  An  offer  ?  "  asked  Noll,  leaning  for 
ward  with  earnest  face. 

"  Come,  Noll,  you  are  a  sensible  girl,"  began  Mrs. 
Meredith.  "  Call  up  some  of  your  good  sense  to  in 
fluence  your  sister  in  favor  of  Mr.  Donaldson.  You 
saw  him  when  he  dined  here  some  weeks  ago,  after  his 
trip  up  the  river  with  your  father ;  and  you  liked  him, 
I  believe." 

"  Yes,  I  think  he  is  a  very  good  man,  and  I  like  him 
very  much,"  replied  Noll. 

"So  do  I,  continued  Mrs.  Meredith.  "Now  cure 
Hi  of  her  foolish  aversion  to  him." 

"  But  I  think  just  as  Ri  says,  that  he  is  not  at  all  the 
sort  of  man." 

"  Nonsense  !    Why  not,  pray  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  she  would  want  some  one  younger," 
bravely  suggested  Noll. 

"  That's  just  what  I  do,"  echoed  Ri. 

"  It  is  a  very  natural  feeling,  I  admit,  my  dear,  at 
your  age.  You  are  not  yet  over  the  romantic  period." 

"Now,  ma,  don't  say  that,"  broke  in  Noll.     "I'll 


104  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

bear  witness  that  there's  not  a  particle  of  romance  in 
Hi.  She  wants  to  do  all  things  in  a  proper  and  ra 
tional  way  —  don't  you,  Ri  ?  " 

"Certainly,"  replied  Ri. 

"  1  think  it  is  the  most  proper  and  rational  thing  in 
the  world  for  her  to  want  to  marry  a  younger  man," 
boldly  asseverated  Noll. 

"  Well,  Noll,  I  did  suppose  you  had  more  practical 
sense  ! "  returned  her  mother,  testily.  "  Don't  you  see 
that  Mr.  Donaldson  is  a  certainty?  He  has  proposed 
for  her,  and  a  very  good  offer  he  makes,  too.  And 
where  is  the  probability,  not  to  say  certainty,  of  her 
ever  having  so  good  a  chance  from  a  young  man  ?  " 

"  Where  is  that  Mortimer  Salsby  ?  "  suggested  Noll, 
meditatively,  while  Ri  colored,  and  bent  her  head  over 
her  work. 

"  He  is  not  at  all  to  be  counted  on,"  replied  Mrs. 
Meredith;  "he  has  always  shown  Ri  proper  polite 
ness  and  attention,  but  I  arn  sorry  to  say  he  has 
made  not  the  slightest  advance  toward  a  nearer  ac 
quaintance  with  her  or  the  rest  of  the  family." 

"  Well,  perhaps  he  will,  by  and  by,"  said  Noll,  con 
solingly,  seeing  that  she  had  hit  upon  Ri's  chief 
difficulty. 

"  I  do  not  think  it  at  all  likely,"  said  Mrs.  Meredith ; 
"  and  then,  if  he  does  not,  Mr.  Donalson  is  gone,  past 
recovery,  and  there  is  nothing  so  promising  left." 


CONSIDERATIONS.  105 

Xoll,  not  having  any  great  experience  in  such  mat 
ters,  and  not  being  of  a  romantic  turn  herself,  was  fast 
falling  into  her  mother's  exceedingly  practical  view  of 
the  subject,  taking  for  granted  her  underlying  prem 
ises  that  Pa  must  be  married,  and,  of  course,  as  well 
and  wealthily  married  as  possible. 

"You  see  how  it  is,  Hi,"  pursued  Mrs.  Meredith. 
"  I  know  that  Mr.  Salsby  would  be  personally,  on  some 
accounts,  more  desirable  ;  but  it  so  happens  that  you 
must  accept  Mr.  Donalson  noic,  or  he  is  off  to  Europe, 
and  you  may  never  see  him  again.  As  there  seems 
really  no  prospect  of  Mr.  Salsby's  —  Am  I  right,  dear  ?  " 
she  broke  off.  "  Perhaps  you  know  more  of  his  senti 
ments  and  intentions  than  I  do.  Have  you  any  intima 
tions  of  success  in  that  quarter?" 

Poor  Ri  tried  to  hide  her  blushing  face.  "I  only 
thought,"  she  faltered,  "it  would  be  so  much  pleas- 
anter." 

"I  know;  but  what  signs  has  he  given,  you?" 

"  O,  not  any,  that  I  know  of,"  she  hurriedly  repMed ; 
"and  I  don't  care  particularly  about  him,  any  more 
than  Mr.  Donaldson." 

"  That  is  as  I  supposed,  my  dear  ;  and  so,  since  you 
cannot  have  just  what  you  might  choose,  it  is  best  to 
accept  cheerfully  the  good  fortune  that  Providence  has 
laid  at  your  feet,"  concluded  Mrs.  Meredith,  with  a 
pious  air. 


106  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"And,  I  suppose,  beggars  cannot  be  choosers," 
added  Noll,  with  a  grave  doubt  in  her  usually  merry 
face. 

"  What  a  disgusting  remark,  Noll ! "  exclaimed  her 
mother. 

Noll  rose,  and  slowly  walked  away,  to  repeat  to 
Eva  the  conversation,  and  get  her  opinion  of  it.  Mrs. 
Meredith,  meanwhile,  rapidly  put  down  and  overcame 
all  Ri's  remaining  feeble  resistance  to  the  proposed 
alliance. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it,  Evvy?  Would  you 
marry  an  old  man?"  asked  Noll,  emphasizing  her  ques 
tion  by  sundry  taps  iipon  the  open  page  of  Eva's  book, 
with  the  heel  of  a  rather  slipshod  slipper,  that  had  come 
off  as  she  ran  up  stairs  to  the  school-room. 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  replied  Eva,  staring  straight 
through  the  window  at  the  patch  of  cold,  blue  sky, 
broken  only  by  a  queer  chimney-pot  on  a  neighbor 
ing  roof. 

"f  wouldn't  marry  any  one  I  didn't  want  to  —  not  if 
I  was  an  old  maid  ! "  and  Noll  twitched  on  her  slipper, 
sat  down  on  the  hearth-rug,  and  began  gently  punching 
the  coals  in  the  grate  with  the  poker.  "  Come,  sit  down 
here  by  me,  Evvy.  I  want  to  talk  a  bit."  Eva  laid 
aside  her  book,  and  took  a  humble  seat  upon  the  rug 
at  Noll's  side.  "Truth  is,  I'm  all  in  a  snarl,"  con 
fessed  Noll. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  107 

"About  what?" 

"Why,  this  getting  married.  Ma  set  it  all  out  so 
sensibly,  I  couldn't  help  agreeing  with  her;  and  yet  — 
I  don't  feel  as  though  she  had  the  right  of  it." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  want  to  be  married  at  all,  if  I 
can  only  live  with  Charley,  and  help  him." 

"That's  just  what  I  used  to  think  about  Jack;  but 
you  know  we  can't,  for  the  boys  will  be  getting  married 
themselves,  and  will  not  want  us.  Jack  told  me  so 
once,  when  I  said  I  would  live  with  him ; "  and  Noll 
sighed  a  forsaken  little  sigh. 

"Then  you  and  I  will  go  and  live  somewhere  to 
gether,  Nolly,  dear,"  said  Eva,  trying  to  smile  with  a 
great  lump  in  her  throat,  at  the  thought  of  Charley's 
being  married,  and  not  wanting  her  to  live  with  him. 

"  So  we  will,  you  darling  sister  Evvy ! "  replied  Noll, 
catching  Eva  in  her  arms,  and  rolling  her  over  upon, 
the  rug. 

O 

This  frolic  had  grown  rather  noisy,  when  Jack 
pushed  open  the  school-room  door. 

"  Here's  a  pretty  scene ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  they 
gathered  themselves  up,  and  he  drew  a  chair  before 
the  grate  between  them. 

"  Glad  you've  come,"  gasped  Noll. 

"  What  were  you  up  to  ?  " 

"  Only  having  a  little  roll,  for  fun,"  explained  Eva. 

"  Evvy  and  I  have  agreed  to  live  together  always, 


108  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

after  you  and  Charley  are  all  married,  so  you  don't 
want  us  to  live  with  you.  We  were  celebrating  the 
contract  —  our  betrothal,"  laughed  Noll. 

"  Some  nice  young  men  may  object  to  that  arrange 
ment,"  said  Jack,  drawing  one  arm  about  Eva's  shoul 
ders,  and  reaching  around  Noll's  neck,  to  pinch  her 
farther  ear  with  the  other  hand. 

"  Don't  care  if  they  do ! "  returned  Noll,  shaking  her 
head  to  free  the  captured  ear. 

"  Noll  and  I  don't  want  to  be  married,"  Eva  said. 
'     "  Ah,  you'll  sing  a  different  song  a  few  years  hence," 
said  Jack. 

"  Now,  Jack,  you  seem  to  know  all  about  it,"  began 
Noll ;  "  do  tell  us  what  the  reason  is  that  there's  always 
such  a  fuss  to  get  girls  married  off?  Why  can't  they 
marry  or  not,  just  as  they  choose,  the  same  as  men  do? 
Nobody  thinks  it  so  terribly  necessary  for  men  to  be 
married." 

"  Why,  my  dear  little  innocent,  if  a  woman  isn't 
married,  who  is  going  to  foot  all  her  bills  for  millinery 
and  dry  goods ?  Who  keeps  a  carriage  for  her?  Who 
supports  a  grand  establishment,  writh  its  retinue  of 
servants,  for  her  to  live,  receive  calls,  and  give  parties 
in?  Don't  you  begin  to  see  that  a  husband  is  a  very 
necessary  article,  as  he  is  supposed  to  be  the  very 
spring,  the  tap-root,  of  all  these  desirables?" 

Noll  regarded  Jack  in  dubious  askance ;  Eva  with 
sorrowful,  astonished  blue  eyes. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  109 

"Is  that  all  he  is  good  for?"  asked  Noll. 

"  Bless  you !  isn't  that  enough  ?  Sometimes  he  is 
good  for  a  trip  to  Europe,  or  elsewhei'e  ;  sometimes  he 
isn't.  It  depends  upon  how  valuable  a  specimen  of 
the  .genus  happens  to  fall  into  your  net." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you  would  ever  want  to  be 
married,  then,"  said  Eva. 

Jack  laughed  uneasily.  "  O,  you  see,  we  men  are  a 
hopeful  race.  We  are  forever  flattering  ourselves  that 
our  one  particular  case  is  going  to  be  a  happy  excep 
tion,  and  that  our  one  particular  fair  lady  is  going  to 
marry  from  pure  love  of  ourself,  and  not  at  all  with  a 
view  to  the  convenience  of  our  bank  account." 

"  Why  don't  you  pretend  to  be  poor,  and  then  see 
who  would  marry  you?"  was  Noll's  brilliant  plan. 

"  That  isn't  always  convenient,  by  a  great  deal. 
But  I  came  up  here  to  tell  you  a  little  bit  of  news, 
Noll ;  and  Eva  must  hear  it,  too." 

"  That's  a  dear  Jack !  "  and  Noll  climbed  upon  his 
knee.  "You  do  always  tell  me  things  before  any  one 
else,  and  you  always  will,' till  you  are  married, — won't 
you,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  you  are  a  sensible  sort  of  girl  to  talk  with. 
Come,  Eva,  you  are  another,  and  here  is  my  other 
knee  for  you  ;  "  and  Jack  drew  Eva  up  beside  Noll. 

"Now,  what  is  it?" 

"  I've   been   having   a   long    talk   with   the  doctor, 


110  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

to-day,  about  what  I  had  better  do  with  myself  and 
my  profession.  My  course  of  study  with  him  closes  in 
September.  I've  about  concluded  to  go  west,  and  start 
there.  If  I  do,  I  shall  go  first  to  see  your  uncle  Mar 
ty  n,  Eva,  and  Charley." 

Eva  tightened  her  arm  about  his  neck,  but  dropped 
her  head  upon  his  shoulder.  It  was  so  long  since  last 
July,  and  Charley's  farewell !  Not  one  year  had  yet 
passed,  and  how  could  she  get  through  the  whole  five  ? 

"  What  is  it,  little  girl  ?     Xot  homesick  —  are  you  ?  " 

"O,  I  do  want  to  see  Charley!"  she  moaned. 

"  I  know  ;  of  course  you  do.  I  thought  I'd  tell  you 
of  it  in  good  season,  and  perhaps  you  would  have 
something  ready  that  you  would  like  to  send  out  to 
him  by  me." 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Evvy.  Make  him  a  pair  of  slippers. 
We'll  go  out  and  find  the  very  loveliest  pattern,  and 
you  must  work  every  stitch  yourself,  and  have  them 
all  made  up  for  Jack  to  carry  out  to  him,"  suggested 
NolL 

"I'm  afraid  I  don't  know  how,"  said  Eva,  a  little 
brightened  by  the  plan. 

"I  do,  and  I'll  show  you.  I'll  make  something  to 
send  him,  too.  What  shall  it  be  ?  And  then  we  can 
sit  down,  whenever  we  have  spare  hours,  and  work 
together  for  him.  Won't  it  be  nice  ?  " 

Eva  was  smiling  through  her  tears. 


CONSIDERATIONS.  Ill 

"That's  a  capital  idea,  Noll!"  said  Jack,  slapping 
the  folded  hands  in  her  lap.  "You  would  be  a  real 
comfort,  if  a  body  ever  got  into  sorrowful  times." 

"  O,  yes,  she  is  that  already,"  cried  Eva,  encircling 
Noll's  neck  with  her  other  arm,  and  kissing  her.  "I 
don't  know  how  I  should  live  if  it  wasn't  for  Noll. 
She  always  has  something  kind  to  say  when  I  am  sad." 

"  So  you  get  sad  here  sometimes  ?  " 

"  Everybody  is  very  good  to  me ;  but  sometimes  I 
do  want  to  see  Charley." 

"Poor  little  heart!"  said  Jack,  as  the  dinner-bell 
sounded,  and  the  girls  slid  to  their  feet.  He  bent  his 
kind  face  over  Eva's  little  figure,  and  kissed  her  in  half 
brotherly,  half  fatherly  fashion,  then  took  her  hand  in 
his,  and  led  her  down  to  dinner. 


112       EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    TEIP    TO    CAMPFIELDS. 

"HlVA  came  running  up  stairs  to  the  school-room, 
_  LJ  one  night,  with  joyous  face  and  eager  air. 

"What  now?"  asked  Noll. 

"Mrs.  Dana  has  been  here,  and  she  has-  invited  me 
to  ride  out  to  Campfields  for  a  Fourth  of  July  holiday 
with  her."  It  was  the  first  bright  spot  that  had  fallen 
in  her  way  since  she  came  to  her  aunt  Meredith's. 
No  one  had  thought,  in  the  busy  whirl  of  each  selfish 
life,  to  devise  anything  to  cheer  the  monotonous  days 
of  little  Eva ;  and  truly  it  often  seemed,  as  she  had 
said  to  Jack,  that  she  could  not  have  lived  but  for 
Noll's  cheerful  friendship  and  sisterly  tenderness. 

"That's  a  pretty  arrangement  for  me!"  exclaimed 
Noll.  "What  am  I  going  to  do  without  you?" 

"Why  —  I  thought  — Nolly  dear— I  didn't  think 
you  would  miss  me.  Aunt  Matilda  is  going  to  have 
company  that  day,  you  know.  But  I'll  ask  Mrs.  Dana 


A   TRIP    TO    CAMrriELDS.  113 

to  take  you,  too.  There  will  be  plenty  of  room  in 
the  carriage,  and  I  know  she  will  be  very  willing 
to  do  it." 

"No,  indeed  !  Bless  you,  ./don't  want  to  go  riding 
off  to  a  little  strange  country  town,  where  I  don't 
know  anybody.  I've  got  a  plan  worth  two  of  that. 
I'll  just  announce  to  my  excellent  mamma  that, 
whereas  you  are  going  away  to  leave  me  in  a 
widowed  condition,  I  shall  claim  the  privilege  of 
presence  in  the  drawing-rooms  among  her  guests. 
Sophy  is  to  go  down,  and  why  shouldn't  I?  You 
see  it  is  to  be  a  perfectly  informal  —  sort  of  family 
.affair.  Mr.  Donaldson  will  be  here  of  course,  Dick 
and  Clara  Waters,  and  Jack  is  going  to  try  to  rope  in. 
Mortimer  Salsby,  as  a  friend  of  his.  you  know;"  and 
Noll  laughed  gayly  at  the  programme. 

"Would  you  really  enjoy  that  better?" 

"Yes;  I  want  to  see  this  Mortimer  Salsby,  that  I 
have  heard  so  much  about.  I  wonder  if  he  is  as  de 
lightful  as  everybody  seems  to  think." 

Eva  rode  off  with  Mrs.  Dana  in  a  very  happy  mood, 
aunt  Matilda,  far  from  objecting,  having  exhibited  the 
utmost  indifference  to  the  whole  arrangement.  The 
morning  was  still  fresh  and  comfortable,  as  they  rolled 
off  the  pavements  and  out  upon  the  broad  country 
roads.  The  birds  sang  sweetly.  The  beautiful  green 
of  the  trees  and  meadows,  newly  washed  by  a  recent 


114:  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

shower,  refreshed  their  eyes,  weary  with  the  dust  and 
walls  of  the  city.  It  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock  when 
they  reached  the  little  village,  and  Mrs.  Dana  ordered 
the  coachman  to  drive  directly  to  the  hotel,  that  they 
might  have  a  noonday  meal,  and  rest  themselves  be 
fore  going  out  to  visit  Eva's  old  friends.  A  table  was 
spread  for  them  in  a  private  parlor,  and  the  long  ride 
had  furnished  them  with  excellent  appetites.  The 
dishes  were  cleared  away.  Mrs.  Dana  was  reclining 
upon  the  stiff,  hard  sofa,  softened  by  the  heavy  shawl 
she  had  brought  for  the  evening  ride  home.  Eva  was 

o  o 

curled  up  in  an  old-fashioned  rocking-chair.  A  knock 
was  heard  upon  their  door. 

"It  is  Ferber,  the  footman,"  said  Mrs.  Dana.  "I 
told  him  to  be  ready  to  accompany  us  in  our  walk  this 
afternoon.  Say  we  shall  not  want  him  till  two 
o'clock;"  for  Eva  had  sprung  up  to  open  the  door. 

But  it  was  not  Ferber.  A  gray-haired  old  man 
stood  bowing,  and  flashing  his  long,  gleaming,  white 
teeth,  with  sorry  efforts  at  smiling,  while  he  gently 
rubbed  his  hands  together.  "I  hope  I  do  not  disturb 
the  ladies.  I  only  knocked  to  say  that,  if  you  wish 
to  see  the  beauties  of  Campfields,  I  will  send  a  boy 
with  your  servants,  who  knows  all  the  places  of  inter 
est  hereabouts." 

Eva  had  shrank  away  at  sight  of  the  familiar 
though  changed  old  face.  Turning  to  Mrs.  Dana, 


A    TRIP    TO    CAMPFIELDS.  115 

"  It  is  —  "  she  was  about  to  say  Mr.  Salsby ;  but  re 
membering  Mortimer's  secret,  she  quickly  added,  "  the 
landlord." 

"At  your  service,  madam,"  he  said,  bowing  politely 
on  the  threshold,  as  Mrs.  Dana  raised  herself. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  suggestion,  but  we  are  not 
entire  strangers  here,  and  know  perfectly  well  the 
places  we  wish  to  visit,"  she  said. 

"O,  ah!  yes;  I  beg  pardon" — bowing  himself 
gradually  off  the  threshold,  with  a  sharp  glance  of 
scrutiny  from 'Mrs.  Dana  to  Eva. 

"Not  at  all." 

"Ah,  dear  me! — is  it  possible?"  His  keen,  sly 
eyes,  suddenly  recognizing  Eva's  unchanged  face, 
"Miss  Roberts,  I  am  most  happy!"  —  extending 
his  hand  —  "to  see  you  again  in  this  —  "house,  he 
meant  to  say,  but  substituted  "  place  "  instead. 

"  I  came  with  Mrs.  Dana,"  said  Eva,  bowing  dis 
tantly,  and  pretending  not  to  see  his  offered  hand. 

A  weary  look,  as  if  accustomed  to  such  rebuffs, 
passed  over  the  face  of  the  bland  old  man,  as  he 
withdrew  his  unaccepted  hand,  and,  with  another  of 
his  galvanic  smiles,  continued,  "And  where  is  your 
brother  now,  Miss  Roberts?" 

"  In  Chicago,"  replied  Eva,  edging  away  toward  her 
chair,  and  looking  annoyed. 

"  1  am  sorry  I  have   disturbed  you,"  apologized  old 


116  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Mr.  Salsby.  "  If  I  can  be  of  any  service,  pray  com 
mand  me." 

Mrs.  Dana  bowed,  and  murmured  thanks  ;  and,  with 
another  flourishing  obeisance  and  gentle  rub  of  his 
hands,  he  disappeared. 

Eva  crept  into  her  rocking-chair  in  silence.  Mrs. 
Dana  knew  too  much  of  the  transactions  between  the 
landlord  of  the  hotel  and  the  Roberts  family  to  care  to 
allude  to  him,  and  for  nearly  an  hour  not  a  word 
passed  between  them. 

When  Ferber,  the  footman,  knocked,  Mrs.  Dana  and 
Eva  quickly  tied  on  their  little  summery  hats,  and 
passed  down  the  pleasant,  and,  to  Eva,  very  familiar, 
village  street.  But  a  stranger  opened  the  door  of  the 
beloved  little  cottage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craig  had  moved 
to  rooms  attached  to  the  barber's  shop.  Mr.  Dana 
had  not  told  his  wife  of  this.  It  was  the  first  and  only 
disappointment  in  Eva's  happy  holiday.  She  had 
looked  forward  to  finding  James  and  Hannah  just  as 
she  had  left  them ;  to  seeing  all  the  dear  old  house 
hold  furniture  as  it  had  been  when  the  cottage  was  her 
own  loved  home,  and  the  presence  of  her  mother  and 
Charley  had  made  it  the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to  her. 
She  began  to  realize  how  fast  changes  creep  over 
everything  we  have  known.  Back  through  the  long, 
shaded  street  they  went,  and  rang  the  bell  at  the  side 
door  of  a  building,  the  front  half  of  whose  lower  story 


A    TKIP    TO    CAMPFIELDS.  117 

was  decorated  with  a  fine  new  barber's  pole.  Hannah 
herself  opened  the  door. 

"O,  it's  little  Eva,  my  own  darlint  child!"  she  cried, 
bestowing  a  hearty  kiss  upon  Eva's  happy  face. 

"And  this  is  Mrs.  Dana,"  said  Eva. 

"  How  de  do,  ma'am  ? "  said  Hannah,  courtesying 
bashfully. 

"I  remember  Hannah  very  well,"  said  Mrs.  Dana, 
smiling.  "You  often  brought  Eva  over  to  play  with 
my  sister  Minnie,  and  came  for  her  again." 

"Walk  in  ;  come  right  in  here,"  said  Hannah,  brisk 
ly,  opening  the  door  into  her  darkened  best  parlor,  and 
loosening  a  blind.  "  I'm  just  as  glad  to  see  you  as  can 
be !  There's  my  baby !  She's  waked  up,  and  I'll 
bring  her  right  in  here,  so  I  can  talk  with  you 
whilst;"  and  Hannah  disappeared  in  the  direction 
of  certain  faint  wails,  from  some  remote  corner  of  the 
building. 

"I  didn't  know  Hannah  had  a  baby,"  said  Eva,  feel 
ing  that  this  pleasant  change  quite  compensated  for 
others  not  so  desirable. 

"  Here's  the  little  queen,"  said  Hannah,  proudly,  as 
she  returned  with  a  white,  dimpled  baby,  in  suspicious 
ly  clean  bib,  and  seated  herself  in  a  low  rocker. 

Eva  was  quickly  kneeling  at  her  side,  exclaiming, 
"What  a  little  darling!"  and  administering  various 
taps  upon  the  baby's  pluinp  cheeks,  to  instigate  an 


118  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

infantile  smile ;  while  Mrs.  Dana  went  through  the 
regular  cour.se  of  questions  for  such  cases,  beginning 
with,  "  How  old  is  she  ? "  When  she  hud  politely 
elicited  the  facts  that  baby  was  six  months  old,  was 
about  ready  to  cut  her  first  teeth,  had  always  been 
of  a  very  amiable  disposition,  showed  a  passionate 
admiration  for  everything  red,  and  was  not  yet  blessed 
with  a  name,  Eva  suddenly  became  conscious  that  she 
was  making  her  call  entirely  upon  baby,  and  had 
scarcely  spoken  to  Hannah. 

"You  have  not  told  us  why  you  moved  from  the 
cottage,"  she  said,  stepping  reluctantly  back  to  her 
chair,  and  bravely  ignoring  all  baby's  crowing  and 
smiling  attractions. 

"Well,  now,  Miss  Eva,  we  were  right  sorry  to  do 
that;  and  I'll  tell  you  just  how  it  would  be  coming 
about,"  replied  Hannah,  sobering  her  joyful  face,  and 
settling  her  baby  on  her  lap.  "  It  was  last  fall  that 
James  got  a  bad  cut  in  his  right  hand  with  a  razor. 
He  had  sharpened  it  to  use,  and  had  laid  it  up  for  a 
moment,  open,  upon  a  little  shelf  over  his  table.  Some 
one  came  in,  and  slammed  the  door ;  so  down  comes 
the  razor,  and  struck  his  hand  a  dreadful  gash.  He 
couldn't  use  it  again  for  a'most  three  months,  and  had 
to  hire  a  man  to  shave  all  his  customers.  Then,  what 
with  all  sorts  of  things  we  had  to  be  buying,  and  baby 
coming  along,  James  hadn't  paid  the  last  quarter's  rent, 


A    TP.IP    TO    CAMrFIELDS.  119 

and  the  lease  was  up.  We  hadn't  anything  laid  by, 
and  so  James  thought  we  had  better  live  in  cheaper 
lodgings,  if  we  weren't  so  genteel.  The  cottage  wns 
very  elegant  for  such  as  us  to  live  in.  We  thought 
we'd  better  be  laying  up  something  against  a  rainy 
day,  if  we  could  do  it,  and  only  live  comfortable,  and 
not  think  of  bein'  stylish,  you  know." 

"  You  seem  very  comfortable  here,"  said  Eva.  "  I 
see  you  have  the  same  old  furniture.  It  must  be  easier 
for  James,  too,  living  so  near  his  shop." 

"  We  couldn't  afford  to  be  buyin'  new  furniture, 
and  we  didn't  want  to,  either,  savin'  a  few  things  we 
came  to  need.  Baby's  got  a  fine  rocking-crib  and  a 
little  carnage.  We  had  to  put  a  new  shavin'-chair 
into  the  shop ;  and  the  old  cook-stove  wore  out,  so  we 
had  to  get  another,  and  that  was  an  awful  sum  !  I'll 
see  if  James  can't  leave  to  come  and  see  ye.  Men  will 
want  to  be  shaved  all  sorts  of  days." 

James  was  found  quite  idle  in  his  little  shop,  not 
withstanding  Hannah's  complacent  words,  implying  a 
rush  of  custom.  He  hastened  toward  the  parlor, 
throwing  off  his  apron  by  the  way,  and  took  Eva's 
hand  with  cordial  grasp  and  shining  face. 

"  It  does  my  'eart  good  to  see  the  face  of  a  Roberts 
again  !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  "and  'ow  'as  the  world  treated 
you,  in  that  great  hugly  city  of  New  York  ?  " 

"  Very  fairly,  I  suppose.  It  is  not  so  pleasant  as 
Campfields,  nor  so  happy  as  my  own  home  was." 


120  EVA    KOBEETS'    EDUCATION. 

"What  news  from  Mr.  Charley?" 

"Only  good  news;"  and  Eva  explained  Charley's 
business  position.  Many  little  events  of  interest  were 
recalled  and  related  by  each,  and  an  hour  had  passed 
away  before  they  were  aware. 

As  they  rose  to  go,  James  slid  shyly  up  to  Eva,  say 
ing,  "  Miss  Heva,  would  you  'elp  us  to  find  a  name  for 
that  child  ?  'Annah  and  me  'ave  been  trying  hall 
these  six  months,  and  can't  hagree  on  one." 

".O,  may  I  name  her?"  cried  Eva,  joyfully. 

"We'd  be  so  glad  if  you  would!"  said  Hannah; 
"  and  then  we  could  think  of  you  every  time  wo 
called  her." 

"I've  been  thinking,  ever  since  you  said  she  was  not 
named,  that  you  ought  to  call  her  Nora,  because  she 
has  such  bright,  dark  eyes,  and  such  roguish  dimples 
in  her  cheeks." 

"  That's  a  very  pretty  name,"  said  James. 

"  So  I  think.  But  shouldn't  she  have  another  to  go 
with  it  ?  "  rejoined  Hannah. 

"  I  didn't  know  there  was  any  need  of  it,"  replied 
Eva.  "7"  haven't  any  middle  name." 

"  When  she  gets  married,  she  can  keep  Craig  for 
her  middle  name,"  said  Mrs.  Dana. 

"That  she  shall,"  returned  James. 

Out  upon  the  street  again,  Ferber  stalking  solemnly 
behind  them,  Mrs.  Dana  asked,  "  Whither  next  ?  " 


A    TKIP    TO    CAMPFIELDS.  121 

"  I  must  go  to  see  Mrs.  Gree ;  and  then,  I  think,  per 
haps,  Mr.  Beeler  would  like  to  hear  from  Charley." 

"  We  certainly  must  not  fail  to  see  Mr.  Beeler,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Dana,  to  whom  Frank  had  given  a  graphic 
description  of  the  old  grocery. 

"And  Mrs.  Gree  was  very  kind  to  us  when  mamma 
died,"  said  Eva,  softly. 

"Ah,  Miss  Eva,  is  it  you?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gree,  as 
she  stepped  to  her  open  door,  to  meet  the  callers  she 
had  seen  approaching. 

Eva  introduced  her  friend  in  the  cool  little  parlor; 
and  Lester  Gree  appeared  in  the  kitchen  doorway,  his 
hands  not  yet  out  of  his  pockets,  his  familiar  giggle 
agreeably  quenched  by  his  surprise. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Lester  ?  "  said  Eva,  recognizing 
him  in  spite  of  the  straggling  array  of  whiskers  that  he 
was  cultivating  into  an  adornment  of  his  large  face, 
and  offering  her  hand. 

The  giggle  had  to  come,  and  a  blush  with  it,  as  he 
drew  his  hand  forth  to  take  hers,  and  ejaculated 
heartily,  "How  do  ?  Glad  to  see  you." 

"This  is  Mrs.  Dana,  Mr.  Gree  —  " 

"  How  do  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"  She  is  Frank  True's  sister,"  Eva  continued.  "  Do 
you  remember  Frank  True,  who  came  out  to  see  Char 
ley  two  years  ago  ?  " 

"  0,  yes,  think  I  do.     His  father  came  with  him,  and 


122  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

had  a  talk  with  the  old  man,  I  remember.  The  old 
man  didn't  want  to  let  Roberts  go.  He  had  found  out 
his  worth  by  that  time." 

"Lay  off  your  bonnets,  now  </#,  ladies,"  Mrs.  Gree 
was  exclaiming,  meanwhile,  in  a  gush  of  happy  hospi 
tality.  "  You  will  be  so  much  cooler  !  Why,  who  is 
that  at  the  door?  Lester,  go  and  see." 

"It  is  my  footman.  He  will  stop  in  the  hall,"  ex 
plained  Mrs.  Dana.  "I  wished  him  to  accompany  us 
because  Eva  is  going  to  take  me  to  all  sorts  of  woody 
haunts  that  she  and  Charley  used  to  visit,  and  I 
thought  we  should  be  more  comfortable  with  some 
one  in  attendance." 

"  O,  yes;  ah,  yes,"  replied  the  little  lady,  while  Les 
ter  graciously  placed  a  chair  in  the  small  and  vacant 
entry,  and  Ferber  haughtily  declined  it,  keeping  his 
stand  in  the  doorway,  hat  in  hand,  and  gazing  idly 
out  upon  the  road. 

Then  followed  the  eager  interchange  of  question 
and  reply  whenever  old  friends  meet.  Mrs.  Gree  had 
been  very  sick  in  the  winter,  and  Lester  had  proved 
himself,  as  his  mother  took  pride  in  declaring,  greatly 
to  his  confusion,  the  very  best  of  nurses,  as  well  as 
of  sons.  Lester  hastened  off  upon  another  subject,  to 
tell  Eva  that  Mr.  Beeler  had  got  on  finely  in  the  past 
year,  —  no  more  thieving,  —  and  he  had  chanced  upon 
a  fortunate  investment  that  had  more  than  made  good 


A    TIUP    TO    CAMPFIELDS.  123 

his  former  losses.  Moreover,  he  had  offered  to  take 
Lester  into  partnership  at  the  opening  of  the  new  year, 
if  the  young  man  could  produce  one  thousand  dollars 
to  put  into  the  business ;  and  Lester  proudly  informed 
her  that  he  knew  where  he  could  borrow  that  amount 
with  no  security  other  than  his  note  ;  then  his  de 
lighted  giggle,  aimed  directly  at  his  mother,  showed 
that  she  was  to  be  his  considerate  banker  for  the  neces 
sary  amount.  Lester  had  bravely  persisted  in  paying 
his  own  way  ever  since  his  father  died,  and  left  Mrs. 
Gree  and  her  boy  alone,  and  penniless,  when  he  was 
only  fifteen.  From  his  first  meagre  earnings  at  Mr. 
Beeler's  grocery  he  had  paid  to  his  mother  a  regular 
weekly  sum  for  his  board,  and  limited  all  his  other 
expenses  within  the  remainder  of  his  wages.  Thus, 
though  he  had  been  able  to  save  nothing  himself,  his 
prudent  mother,  who  had  scrupulously  laid  by  every 
cent  he  paid  her,  brought  forward,  at  this  desirable 
moment,  all  his  hoarded  board  money  for  six  years 
past,  amounting  to  a  little  over  the  requisite  sum. 
He  would  not  receive  it  of  her  as  his  own,  when  she 
wished  him  to  do  so,  but  took  it  as  a  loan,  giving  his 
note,  and  insisting  that  he  should  pay  interest  on  his 
borrowed  capital. 

Eva  was  much  interested  in  this  little  history,  which 
Lester^  told  her  in  a  low  tone,  interspersed  with  a  wag 
of  his  head,  and  his  own  inimitable  giggle  at  all 


124  EVA  .ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

emphatic  or  desirable  points.  As  he  concluded,  Mrs. 
Gree,  who  seemed  to  have  had  one  ear  pointed  that 
way  all  the  time,  while  she  talked  with  Mrs.  Dana 
on  Campfield  scenery  and  society,  continued  the  sub 
ject. 

"  Lester  will  always  have  everything  done  up  in  a 
thoroughly  business  fashion.  lie  can't  bear  to  have 
money  matters  lying  round  loose,  with  no  legal  cer 
tainty  as  to  the  real  owner.  I  say  the  money  is  his; 
but  he  won't  own  it,  and  is  only  willing  to  use  it  if  I  will 
acknowledge  it  mine  by  holding  his  note  and  receiving 
interest.  I  don't  like  to,  when  he  is  rny  own  son  ;  for, 
dear  me,  it  doesn't  make  any  difference.  It  all  goes 
to  him,  any  way,  when  I  die;  and  what  do  I  care  if  he 
has  it  a  few  years  sooner  ?" 

"  I  think  your  son  has  the  right  of  it,"  said  Mrs. 
Dana. 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am,"  interrupted  Lester,  gratefully. 
It  was  evidently  a  much  vexed  question  between  them. 

"It  is  an  honorable  and  just  arrangement,"  contin 
ued  Mrs.  Dana.  "  A  great  many  sorrowful  things 
happen  for  lack  of  exactly  such  strict  adjustments  of 
money  matters  between  members  of  a  family." 

"  There  couldn't  anything  happen  to  us,"  said  Mrs. 
Gree,  uneasily,  "  for  he  is  all  I've  got." 

We  cannot  tell  what  may  befall  us,"  returned  Mrs. 
Dana,  gently  and  sadly.  "  I  think  Mr.  Gree's  method 


A    TRIP    TO    CAMPFIELDS.  125 

is  a  good  one  for  both,  of  you.  It  supplies  you  with 
an  independent  sum  for  the  time  when  you  may  no 
longer  feel  like  working  for  your  own  support  —  " 

"Just  what  I  thought — just  what  I  thought!"  mur 
mured  Lester. 

"  O,  I  don't  care  for  that.  I  shall  never  feel  depen 
dent  as  long  as  I  live  with  Lester,"  said  Mrs.  Gree,  with 
a  smile  full  of  all  possible  maternal  love  and  pride  at 
her  boy. 

"  You  might,  years  hence,  if  he  should  marry  and 
have  a  large  family  of  his  own  to  provide  for,"  sug 
gested  Mrs.  Dana;  whereat  Lester  blushed  furiously, 
and  Mrs.  Gree  looked  very  mournful.  "And  besides 
the  support  and  aid  this  may  be  to  you,  it  is  forming 
a  habit  of  business  punctiliousness  and  thrifty  prudence 
for  your  son." 

Mrs.  Gree  sighed. 

"  You  see  I  cannot  give  you  any  sympathy,"  Mrs. 
Dana  continued,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  "for  I  cannot 
help  thinking  that  you  are  very  fortunate  in  your 
financial  affairs." 

"  O,  I  know  that,  I  know  that ;  only  sometimes  I 
can't  bear  to  have  Lester  so  dreadfully  grown  up  that  I 
can't  do  anything  for  him  now;"  and  the  little  woman 
went  and  laid  her  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  her  big 
boy,  and  looked  up  into  his  face  so  yearningly,  that 
Lester  put  his  arm  about  her  still  trim  little  figure,  and 


126  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

said,  "  Why,  mother,  you  wouldn't  have  me  a  baby 
again  —  would  you?" 

"  Why,  yes,  sometimes." 

"  Of  course  you  can't  be  tending  a  grown  man  as 
you  would  a  little  fellow.  It's  always  a  blessed  com 
fort  to  have  you  here  at  home.  There,  don't  make  a 
baby  of  me  before  the  ladies,"  he  pleaded,  blushing 
uncomfortably ;  for  his  mother  had  got  her  arms  about 
his  neck  to  kiss  him,  with  two  big  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Shall  we  have  to  go  to  Mr.  Beeler's  house  to  find 
him  to-day?"  asked  Eva.  "I  suppose  the  store  is 
closed." 

"Yes,  the  store  is  closed;  but  I  guess  the  old  man 
is  in  his  office.  I'll  —  if — that  is  —  might  I  walk 
with  you  to  the  store  and  see  if  he  is  there?  You 
aren't,  perhaps,  much  acquainted  with  Mrs.  Beeler." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Eva ;  "  if  you  will  take  so 
much  trouble  —  " 

"  It  will  be  very  acceptable,"  said  Mrs.  Dana,  finish 
ing  Eva's  incomplete  sentence. 

Lester  entered  the  darkened  grocery  with  his  own 
key,  leaving  the  ladies  at  the  door,  and  found  Mr.  Bee 
ler  busily  posting  his  books  and  making  out  bills  for 
the  morrow.  Mr.  Beeler  came  gladly  out  to  meet 
them,  and  conducted  them  through  the  store  to  his 
little  office.  Lester  sat  down  and  had  a  pleasant 
chat  with  Mrs.  Dana,  while  Eva  related  to  Mr.  Beeler 


A    TRIP    TO    CAMFFIELDS.  127 

nil  that  Charley  had  told  her  of  his  business  prospects 
and  experiences  in  Chicago.  Eva  was  glad  to  observe 
that  Mr.  Beeler  had  a  contented  and  restful  look  in 
his  kind  but  resolute  face;  and  he  seemed  much  grati 
fied  that  she  had  come  to  see  him,  and  that  Charley 
had  not  forgotten  to  send  him,  a  message  in  one  of  his 
la.st  letters. 

Lester  Gree  bade  them  good  by  as  he  locked  the 
store  door;  and  they  started  on  to  visit  the  little 
wildwood  bower,  where  Charley  and  Eva  had  held 
two  Fourth  of  July  picnics.  This  they  found  quite 
unaltered.  Eva  joyfully  exhibited  the  very  place 
where  uncle  Martyn  had  pushed  his  head  through  the 
barberry  bushes,  upon  their  grave  discussion  one  year 
ago.  She  gayly  repeated  the  story  to  Mrs.  Dana,  who 
was  an  interested  listener  to  all  Eva's  happy  reminis-, 
cences  throughout  this  pleasant  holiday.  Here  Fer- 
ber  brought  forward  a  basket  he  had  been  gravely 
lugging  about  all  this  time,  and  Mrs.  Dana  took  from 
it  a  delicate  little  lunch  she  had  brought,  saying  she 
had  intended  to  make  a  picnic  somewhere,  during  the 
day,  but  had  not  expected  to  find  such  a.  desirable 
place  as  this,  and  one  already  dedicated  to  the  use,  as 
was  this  lovely  retreat.  Ferber  silently  swallowed  his 
portion  of  the  repast  just  beyond  uncle  Martyn's  bush, 
and  amused  himself  with  slaughtering  mosquitos  mean 
while.  Perhaps  he  did  not  fancy  the  duties  allotted 


128  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

to  him  to-day,  but  would  have  preferred  loafing 
about  the  bar-room  with  Rush,  the  coachman.  At 
any  rate,  he  seemed  to  have  something  of  a  grave 
nature  weighing  upon  his  mind.  Mrs.  Dana  and  Eva 
took  a  short  ramble  through  the  pleasant  green  woods 
after  their  lunch,  grimly  followed  by  Ferber.  Then, 
as  the  afternoon  sun  declined,  they  wandered  idly  back 
to  the  hotel  for  an  hour's  rest  and  a  cup  of  tea,  before 
Btartinor  on  their  drive  home. 

~ 

"  One  more  glass,  I  reckon,"  said  Rush  at  the  hotel 
bar. 

"  See  here  ! "  said  Sam  Sloper ;  "  you  are  the  lady's 
coachman  —  ain't  you  ?  " 

"What's  the  hodds?  I'll  coachman  you!"  angrily 
returned  the  other,  already  rather  unsteady  with 
liquor. 

"Reckon  you  will!"  replied  Sam,  with  a  titter. 
"  But  we  don't  want  no  more  deaths  laid  to  our  door, 
specially  ladies'." 

"What's  that,  Sam?  What's  that?"  said  Mr.  Sals- 
by,  in  the  querulous  tone  now  grown  habitual,  as  he 
entered  the  bar-room.  "Don't  be  talking  about  that 
to  customers.  It  isn't  a  pleasant  subject  to  them  —  it 
never  is." 

"This  is  the  lady's  coachman,  sir,  and  I  should  say 
he  has  got  as  much  as  he  can  carry,  and  drive  safely," 
said  Sam,  respectfully. 


A   TEIP    TO   CAMPFIELDS.  129 

"  Ah,  I  see !  I  see !  Now,  my  good  fellow,"  and  Mr. 
Salsby  laid  a  patronizing  hand  on  the  man's  shoulder, 
"  suppose  we  put  you  up,  for  future  consumption,  a 
quart  or  two  of  this  very  nice  whiskey  — " 

"Bah  !  I  take  brandy,"  coolly  suggested  the  coach 
man. 

"  Yes ;  well,  brandy,  then,  for  you  to  use  as  you 
may  seem  to  require  it,  instead  of  this  one  glass  more 
to-night.  Wouldn't  that  be  a  more  desirable  arrange 
ment?" 

"  Don't  care  if  you  do.  'Twouldn't  come  amiss 
'most  hany  time !"  growled  Rush. 

A  quart  bottle  was  filled  with  excellent  brandy,  and 
the  half  drunk  coachman  seemed  utterly  oblivious  of 
the  difference  in  price  between  this  and  the  single 
glass  he  had  ordered.  lie  threw  down  a  wad  of  dirty 
scrip,  and  pocketed  the  change  in  a  state  of  glorious 
ignorance  as  to  the  amount  of  it.  Fcrber  dragged  him. 
away,  in  the  midst  of  his  vociferous  objections,  to  order 
the  horses  and  see  that  they  were  ready.  Ferber  him 
self  took  a  final  survey  of  the  harness,  before  he  went 
to  announce  to  the  ladies  that  the  carriage  was  at  the 
door. 

9 


130       EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

RETURN. 

"  "\7~OTJ  must  drive  a  little  faster  than  when  we 
J-  came.  I  want  to  get  home  at  nine,"  Mrs.  Dana 
said  to  the  coachman,  sitting  unsteadily  upon  his  high 
perch,  as  Ferber  closed  the  low  door  of  the  barouche 
and  lowered  the  sheltering  top,  which  was  quite  un 
necessary  now  that  the  sun  was  no  longer  oppressive. 
Ferber  climbed  to  his  seat,  and  braced  one  firm  shoul 
der  against  the  coachman.  Rush  shook  the  reins  with 
undecided  motion,  and  the  horses  sped  away  right 
merrily  toward  home.  The  sun  was  still  above  the 
horizon,  and  the  village  clock  was  striking  seven  as 
they  rolled  out  of  Campfields.  They  watched  the  soft 
green  country  fields,  listened  to  the  chirp  of  the  crick 
ets  and  katydids,  and  saw  with  delight  the  brilliant 
lines  of  the  summer  sunset  go  fading  into  the  evening's 
dusky  shadows,  till  the  sparkling  stars  came  out. 
When  they  could  no  longer  distinguish  the  objects 
around  them,  they  leaned  restfully  back  in  the  cush- 


EETUElSr.  131 

ioned  carriage,  and  talked  of  many  things.  Eva  found 
a  pleasure  she  had  not  known  since  her  mother's  death 
in  telling  all  the  difficulties  of  her  daily  life  to  some 
one  who  could  bring  the  sympathizing  wisdom  of 
greater  years  to  aid  her.  And  so  it  came  about,  with 
out  any  mention  of  Ri's  betrothal  as  its  cause,  that 
she  repeated  to  her,  as  well  as  she  could  recall  it,  the 
conversation  she  and  Noll  had  held  about  marriage, 
and  Jack's  rather  unsatisfactory  explanation. 

"Do  you  think  it  is  so?"  asked  Eva,  with  a  troubled 
face.  "Must  girls  get  married  just  to  have  some  one 
to  pay  their  bills?" 

Mrs.  Dana  almost  laughed,  but  checked  herself.  "I 
suppose,  if  girls  run  large  bills,  they  must  find  some 
way  to  settle  them,"  she  replied. 

"But  isn't  there  some  other  way?" 

"I  think  a  much  better  way  would  be  not  to  require 
so  much.  It  will  be  better  times  when  girls  learn  to 
expect  no  more  than  they  can  provide  for  themselves. 
That  is  what  young  men  have  to  learn." 

"And  is  that  why  nobody  is  in  a  hurry  to  marry  off 
boys  ?  " 

"Not  exactly  —  though  perhaps  it  is  partly  the  rea 
son.  Boys  are  expected  to  be  self-supporting  and 
independent  —  more  than  self-supporting,  as  they  must 
also  support  their  families  when  they  become  men.  I 
think  it  is  rather  a  pity  society  does  not  also  require 
self-support  and  independence  of  girls." 


132  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"You  think  girls  ought  to  go  to  work  and  earn 
money,  as  boys  do?" 

"  Yes ;  it  would  be  better  for  all  of  us." 

"I  used  to  earn  money  to  help  Charley,  when  we 
lived  at  Campfields.  I  always  felt  so  happy  when  my 
money  came,  and  I  could  buy  something  we  needed 
with  it!  But  now  uncle  Martyn  sends  me  a  hundred 
dollars  every  quarter,  besides  paying  my  school  bills; 
so  I  really  have  more  than  I  need." 

"  What  do  you  do  with  your  surplus  wealth  ?  " 

"  0,  it  is  in  a  box  in  my  trunk ;  and  I  have  lent  some 
of  it  to  Sophy." 

"  You  are  saving  it  against  some  time  when  you  will 
need  it  more." 

"No;  I  only  put  it  there  because  I  have  nothing 
else  to  do  with  it.  Aunt  Matilda  does  not  think  school 
girls  need  to  dress  much  ;  so  Noll  and  I  don't  trouble 
our  heads  with  buying  handsome  things.  But  please 
tell  me,  how  can  I  be  self-supporting  and  indepen 
dent?" 

"You  cannot;  and  it  is  not  right  that  you  should 
be  so  now.  While  you  are  yet  a  child,  and  in  school, 
it  is  very  proper  and  kind  of  your  uncle  to  supply  your 
needs.  But  when  your  school  days  are  ovei',  and  you 
are  fitted  to  take  a  place  in  the  world  as  a  young  wo 
man,  then  will  be  the  time  for  you  to  endeavor  to  earn 
your  own  support.  Be  independent,  and  then  you  will 


KETUKX.  133 

never  feel  obliged  to  marry  for  some  one  to  pay  your 
bills.  Do  you  understand  it,  Eva?" 

"  I  think  so.  Charley  was  independent  at  Camp- 
fields,  for  he  earned  all  he  had,  and  some  for  us,  too. 
He  is  independent  now ;  but  mamma  and  I  never  were 
independent." 

"  Your  mamma  was  in  too  feeble  health  for  any  con 
tinued  exertion.  Besides,  she  was  left,  when  a  little 
girl,  with  great  wealth,  by  her  grandfather,  and  so 
never  felt  the  need  of  any  effort  to  supply  her  own 
wants." 

"I  think  I  would  rather  earn  my  own  money  than 
even  to  ask  Charley  for  it." 

"  That  is  a  good  and  self-reliant  spirit.  I  am  sure 
you  will  be  a  brave  little  girl,  Eva,  when  there  is  need 
of  it.  We  will  talk  more  about  this  some  time.  I 
want  you  to  come  and  spend  part  of  your  vacation 
with  me.  I  am  not  going  out  of  the  city  this  summer, 
and  Minnie  is  to  stay  with  me  while  mother  visits  some 
relatives  in  the  mountains.  I  should  very  much  like 
to  have  you  both  together,  and  I  think  it  would  not 
be  dull  for  you.  Can  you  come  ?  " 

"  0,  yes.  I  think  so."  But  then  Eva's  bright  looks 
faded.  «  No ;  I  don't  know." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Aunt  Matilda  is  going  to  the  Springs  with  cousin 
Jack,  Mr.  Donaldson,  Hi,  and  Sophy.  They  start  day 


134          EVA  EOBEKTS  EDUCATION. 

after  to-morrow.  If  I  went  away,  Xoll  would  have  to 
stay  all  alone." 

"Cannot  Noll  come  too?  I  am  not  acquainted 
with  her,  hut  I  am  sure,  from  what  you  say  of  her,  she 
would  be  a  pleasant  addition  to  the  little  party  I  am 
planning." 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Eva,  slowly.  After  XolFs  un 
complimentary  refusal  of  the  ride  to  Campfields,  Eva 
was  by  no  means  sure  that  she  would  like  the  proposed 
visit  any  better. 

The  horses'  feet  were  clattering  briskly  over  the 
pavements  now.  Under  cover  of  the  darkness,  Rush 
had  several  times  consulted  the  flask  he  had  in  his 
pocket.  Ferber  had  once  or  twice  tried  to  take  the 
reins  from  him,  as  he  rocked  insecurely  in  his  seat. 
But  Rush  only  swore  at  him,  and,  with  drunken  lurch, 
gathered  the  lines  into  his  hands  again.  Ferber  did 
not  wish  to  alarm  the  ladies,  and  would  not  strive  with 
him.  Rush  leaned  more  and  more  heavily  against  the 
footman's  bracing  shoulder.  Ferber  made  one  more 
attempt  to  secure  the  reins,  as  the  wheels  grazed  a 
lamp-post;  but  the  drunken  man  was  still  sensitive 
about  his  driving,  and  growled  out  an  oath  so  loud 
and  so  gruff  that  Ferber  shook  in  his  shoes  lest  it 
should  reach  Mrs.  Dana's  ears.  It  did,  and  caused  her 
to  break  off  her  conversation  with  Eva,  that  she  might 
watch  her  coachman  more  closely.  Ferber  observed 


RETURN.  135 

the  silence  between  them  with  anxiety.  Whiz  came 
a  carriage  with  which  their  wheels  must  certainly  lock. 
Ferber  reached  over  and  drew  the  off  rein  just  in  time 
to  turn  aside  and  graze  by  the  flying  vehicle. 

"  I  say,  who's  a-drivin'  this  here  team  ? "  growled 
Rush,  with  an  oath. 

Ferber  replied  only  by  catching  both  reins  to  hold 
back  the  horses  from  a  coach  that  came  dashing  round 
a  corner  near  them.  Rush  resented  this  interference 
with  his  province,  though  under  his  management  there 
must  have  been  a  dangerous  collision,  and  commenced 
a  shower  of  blows  and  oaths  upon  Ferber's  broad 
shoulders  and  devoted  head.  Mrs.  Dana  sprang  up  to 
stop  this  disgraceful  scene  upon  the  box,  but  receiving 
one  of  Rush's  rather  promiscuous  strokes  full  upon  the 
top  of  her  bonnet,  she  sank  back  for  a  moment  to  her 
seat. 

"  Shall  I  push  him  off,  ma'am  ?  "  said  Ferber  over  his 
shoulder,  as  he  sat  unmoved  and  carefully  guided  the 
horses,  in  spite  of  the  pommelling  he  received. 

"  No ;  I  don't  know,"  she  replied. 

"  If  it  wasn't  for  the  driving  I  could  handle  him, 
and  take  him  home  quietly,"  said  the  man.  "You 
couldn't  —  drive?"  he  asked,  hesitatingly. 

"  No ;  "  she  replied. 

"  I  can,"  cried  Eva.     "  Charley  taught  me." 

"You  aren't  strong  enough.  Though  the  horses 
aren't  very  gay  now,"  replied  Ferber. 


136  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  I'll  try  it ; "  and  Eva  stood  upon  the  front  scat  of 
the  barouche,  and  took  the  reins  that  Ferber  slipped 
around  by  his  left  side  to  her,  after  bringing  the  horses 
to  a  walk.  Then,  with  one  sudden  and  dexterous  mo 
tion,  he  caught  both  of  Rush's  arms,  pinioned  them  at 
his  side,  and  laid  him  down  upon  the  foot-board  of  the 
driver's  seat. 

"Turn  to  the  right,"  he  said,  as  Eva  now  stood 
bravely  up,  and  held  the  reins  with  firm  hands  across 
the  heads  of  the  two  men.  To  the  right  she  turned, 
and  the  horses  broke  into  their  accustomed  trot  again. 

"Careful,"  cautioned  Ferber;  "hold  steady." 

Eva  did  her  best,  and  followed  all  Ferber's  direc 
tions.  He  crouched  upon  the  foot-board,  held  down 
the  drunken  Rush,  who  still  had  spasmodic  attacks 
of  fighting,  or  trying  to  do  so.  Ten  minutes  more 
brought  them  to  Mrs.  Dana's  house,  where  the  coach 
man  was  walked  oflTto  the  barn  by  a  stable  boy.  Bid 
ding  Mrs.  Dana  an  affectionate  good  night,  with  thanks 
for  the  pleasure  she  had  given  her,  Eva  sat  down  in 
the  carriage,  to  be  driven  to  aunt  Matilda's  by  Ferber. 

A  footman  stood  guard  at  the  front  door,  which  was 
left  open  that  the  cooler  air  of  evening  might  freshen 
the  sultry  drawing-rooms  and  stifled  parlors.  From 
one  of  these  rooms  Eva  heard  the  sound  of  merry 
voices,  and  a  low  murmur  hummed  through  the  open 
door  of  the  library.  As  her  light  feet  sped  up  the 


KETUKK.  137 

stairs,  Noll  ran  from  the  parlor,  and  followed  to  thein 
room. 

"  Off  with  your  things,  Evvy  !  I'll  help  you  prink  a 
bit,  and  then  you  must  come  down.  Such  fun  as  it 
is  to  see  them  manoeuvre !  Clara  Waters  and  Sophy 
have  been  beaming  all  their  choicest  prettinesses  upon 
the  young  Salsby.  I  declare  I  wouldn't  have  be 
lieved  Sophy  could  be  so  sweet  and  amiable !  Dick 
has  hung  about  Ri  and  Mr.  Donaldson  till  that  long- 
suffering  pair  have  withdrawn  to  the  library  in  self- 
defence —  ostensibly  to  study  out  routes  of  travel  in 
Europe  ;  and  now  I've  had  him  on  my  hands  for  half 
an  hour,  and  tossed  him  over  to  ma,  while  I  came  up 
to  you.  Let  me  tie  this  watered  blue  ribbon  round 
your  curls  ;  it  will  be  lovely !  Jack  has  managed  to 
draw  off  Clara,  and  leave  Salsby  to  Sophy.  I'm  dying 
to  see  what  will  be  the  next  shift  of  the  kaleidoscope, 
when  I  bring  you  in  among  them." 

•  "I  don't  think  I  want  to  go  down.  Ought  I  to  go?" 
broke  off  Eva,  dropping  the  sleeves  of  the  delicate 
muslin  that  Noll  had  just  thrown  airily  over  her  head, 
without  disarranging  one  of  the  glossy  light  curls. 

"  O,  yes,  indeed,  you  must!  Haven't  I  told  Dick 
that  you  are  coming  ?  " 

"  Dick  can't  be  very  desirous  of  seeing  me." 

"And  I  told  Mr.  Salsby  so,  too." 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  Mr.  Salsby,  Noll.  I  saw  his 
father  to-day." 


138  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

"  Did  you  ?  Well,  how  is  the  old  gentleman  ?  "  in 
quired  Noll,  with  mocking  interest. 

"He  looks  old  and  miserable,  "Noll.  I  can't  help 
pitying  him,  though  I  dislike  him  more  than  I  can 
tell." 

"  Well,  never  mind  about  him,  then,  if  you  don't 
like  him.  Where's  the  use  of  spoiling  your  counte 
nance  for  the  evening  by  dwelling  upon  unpleasant 
subjects?" 

"Why,  Noll!  you  don't  talk  like  yourself  to-night." 

"It's"  my  gay  life  of  to-day,  dear  —  dissipation  and 
seeing  society.  It  will  wear  off  by  to-morrow.  Come, 
now  you  are  ready." 

Eva  was  very  pretty  in  the  soft,  cloud-like  muslin, 
tinged  with  blue,  and  her  little  face,  yet  paler  with  her 
recent  fright,  set  in  its  halo-like  shower  of  golden  curls. 
Aunt  Matilda  half  frowned  as  she  saw  her.  * 

"Tliis  is  my  niece,  Eva  Roberts,"  she  said;  then 
added,  "  Come  here,  darling,  and  tell  me  of  your  day's 
excursion."  Eva  took  the  low  seat  near  her  aunt's 
chair,  and  never  dreamed  of  the  tact  that  used  a  sem 
blance  of  affectionate  interest  in  her  day's  pleasure  to 
draw  her  away  from  the  notice  of  the  guests.  Bivt 
nothing  could  have  more  effectually  roused  the  curiosi 
ty  of  the  listless  and  ennuied  Mortimer,  who  under 
stood  the  manoeuvre  at  once.  Where  had  he  heard 
the  name  of  Roberts  before  ?  He  could  not  recollect. 


KETUKN.  139 

And  that  little  figure  with  light  curls  —  0,  yes,  that  he 
had  seen  at  the  interrupted  wedding  in  St.  James' 
Chapel  last  fall,  —  and  again,  surely  it  was  the  same 
face  that  had  smiled  at  him  -from  Mr.  Meredith's  car 
riage  one  year  ago.  He  must  have  known  a  Roberts 
at  some  former  time,  since  this  young  Roberts  girl 
knew  him;  but  where?  and  how  much  about  him  did 
she  know  ?  And  while  these  questions  busied  his  brain, 
he  still  sat  by  Sophy,  and  talked  glibly  of  the  last  new 
novel  and  Saratoga. 

"We've  got  some  capital  new  pictures  of  Jack,  Mr. 
Salsby;"and  Noll  planted  herself,  album  in  h.lnd,  di-. 
rectly  under  the  chandelier.  "  At  least,  I  think  them 
good,  and  he,  vain  boy,  says  they  are  libels.  Come  and 
see  this  one  that  I  have  smuggled  into  this  book,  and 
say  what  you  think  of  it.  Come,  Evvy.  I  don't  be 
lieve  you  have  ever  seen  them." 

"  Yes,  I  have ;  Jack  gave  me  one  this  morning,"  re 
plied  Eva,  immovably. 

So  Noll's  invitation,  instead  of  drawing  Eva  and 
Mr.  Salsby  together,  as  she  had  planned,  brought  So 
phy,  Dick,  and  Mrs.  Meredith  to  inspect  the  interesting 
photograph,  which  Jack  had  never  shown  to  any  one 
but  Noll  and  Eva. 

Mortimer  resigned  the  book  to  Mrs.  Meredith,  care 
lessly  remarking,  over  her  shoulder,  that  "Jack's  phiz 
had  a  much  better  tout  ensemble  than  that  represented;" 


140  EVA   BOBEKTS'   EDUCATION. 

and  then,  Noll's  project  coinciding  with  his  own  incli 
nations,  he  parried  it  out  by  slipping  away  to  Dick's 
vacant  chair,  near  Eva. 

"You  said  you  had  seen  your  cousin's  picture.  Do 
you  think  it  good  ?  "  asked  Mortimer. 

"It  is  correct  as  he  sometimes  looks.  I  think  it  does 
not  give  his  best  expression." 

"Xo.  I  hardly  knew  how  to  find  fault  with  it;  but 
you  have  said  it  exactly.  It  is  very  difficult  to  be  al 
ways  in  our  best  mood." 

Eva  did  not  know  how  to  answer  this  psychologi 
cal  statement,  and  so  wisely  held  her  peace. 

"You  have  been  on  an  excursion  to-day.  Into  the 
country  ?  "  he  resumed. 

"Yes,  to  Campfields."  Eva  gave  this  definite  an 
swer,  because  it  seemed  the  plainest  and  simplest,  for 
getting  at  the  moment  that  her  companion  might  not 
be  pleasantly  reminded  of  Campfields.  She  was  sorry 
as  she  saw  the  color  flush  suddenly  over  his'  handsome 
face. 

"Are  you  acquainted  there?"  he  continued,  in  a 
tone  of  studied  indifference. 

"  Yes,  a  little." 

"I  have  some  connections  there  —  of  the  same  name. 
Do  you  know  them?"  He  was  determined  to  learn 
how  much  she  knew  of  himself. 

Eva  read  his  intent,  and  replied  to  it  in  her  clear, 
direct  tone.  "I  saw  your  father  to-day." 


RETURN.  141 

Mortimer  was  silent  so  many  minutes,  sitting,  turned 
towards  her,  upon  his  chair,  with  his  elbow  on  its  back, 
and  his  face  half  hidden  in  his  hand,  that  Eva,  regret 
ting  she  had  touched  this  sore  spot  in  his  history, 
longed  to  slip  away  and  leave  him  alone  till  the  pain 
should  have  passed.  At  length  he  spoke  hurriedly. 

"  Yes  ;  and 'how  is  he  —  the  old  man  ?  " 

"Mr.  Salsby  didn't  seem  in  feeble  health,  but  he 
looked  very  miserable." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  I  suppose  so.  But  it  wasn't  my  fault.  I 
did  not  know  what  practices  the  old  man  was  up  to. 
I  remember  all  about  you,  now,  Miss  Roberts.  Your 
brother  was  in  business  in  Campfields." 

"  He  worked  for  Mr.  Beeler." 

"  I  met  him  in  the  grocery,  and  liked  him.  He  is  a 
real  man,  every  inch,  and  will  get  on.  I  remember 
a  discussion  I  had  with  him  on  the  efficacy  of  aspira 
tion  versus  natural  status.  I  do  not  recall  the  exact 
drift  of  the  argument  now,  only  I  am  dimly  conscious 
that  I  found  myself  beaten." 

Eva  was  wondering  if  Charley  talked  on  such  meta 
physical  subjects  in  Mr.  Beeler's  old  grocery,  and  she 
had  no  reply  ready. 

"Wliere  is  your  brother  now?" 

"In  Chicago." 

"In  business  there?" 

"Yes;  in  a  publishing  house." 


142  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  he  is  doing  well.  Your  stars 
have  talcen  a  lucky  turn  lately." 

"I  do  not  understand." 

"  You  are  both  in  much  happier  surroundings  than 
in  Campfields." 

"O,  no,"  she  cried,  a  piteous  grief  springing  into 
every  feature  of  her  sensitive  little  face. 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  said,  gently.  "  I  thought  it  must 
be  a  pleasanter  state  of  affairs  to  live  in  this  beautiful 
house  in  the  city,  and  to  know  that  your  brother  is  in 
a  good  position,  than  to  live  in  that  cramped  little  cot 
tage  in  the  country,  and  submit  to  the  various  incon 
veniences  that  would  accompany  that  mode  of  life;" 
and  Mortimer  thought  he  had  made  a  very  delicate 
hint  at  poverty. 

"  I  used  to  be  very  happy  here  when  I  was  a  little 
girl.  This  was  my  mamma's  house,  and  we  were  all 
together.  I  know  now  that  it  is  better  for  us  as  it  is, 
and  am  very  thankful  for  the  advantages  we  both  are 
receiving.  Of  course  we  don't  have  to  work  so  hard 
as  at  Campfields ;  but  there  mother  and  Charley  and  I 
were  together.  How  can  it  be  happier  now  that  moth 
er  is  gone,  and  Charley  and  I  are  so  far  apart  ?  "  and  a 
little  sob  would  come  at  the  end,  spite  of  all  Eva's 
efforts  at  a  steady  face  and  voice. 

Mortimer's  "  best  mood  "  came  uppermost  as  he  lis 
tened  to  Eva's  sad  little  story.  The  usual  glib  smooth- 


RETURN.  143 

ness  died  out  of  his  voice,  and  it  was  deep,  manly,  and 
tender,  as  he  said,  "  At  least,  Miss  Eva,  there  is  no 
shame  spot  in  your  family  for  you  to  look  back  upon." 

Eva  remembered  her  father's  weakness  for  appro 
priating  all  the  hard  earnings  of  her  mother  and  her 
self,  and  replied,  gently  and  sadly,  "  There  are  some 
tilings  not  pleasant  to  remember  for  every  one,  I  sup 
pose." 

Mortimer  colored,  recalling  too  late  the  rumors  he 
had  nearly  forgotten  of  Mr.  Roberts'  disgraceful  death. 
"I  need  not  surely  ask  you  to  help  me  keep  the  un 
happy  secret  of  my  family  !"  he  murmured  amid  his 
long  unused  confusion. 

"  Only  Xoll  and  I  know  it.  We  have  kept  it  for  you* 
so  far.  You  must  trust  us  to  do  right  by  you  in  the 
future,"  was  Eva's  grave  reply. 

Mrs.  Meredith  brought  a  chair  and  sat  down  before 
them.  This  ttte  a  tcte  must  be  broken  up.  She  could 
not  imagine  what  they  had  found  so  deeply  interesting 
to  talk  about. 

"I  want  to  ask  of  you,  Mr.  Salsby,  a  great  favor. 
Jack  and  I  were  speaking  of  some  little  preparations'for 
my  dear  girl's  wedding.  It  is  to  take  place  in  Septem 
ber,  as  soon  as  practicable  after  our  return  from  the 
Springs.  Mr.  Donaldson  has  no  intimate  friends  in 
this  city,  and  he  has  asked  us  to  secure  the  services  of 
some  of  ours  for  groomsmen.  I  hope  it  is  not  presum- 


144  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

ing  too  much  upon  your  good  nature  to  count  you  as 
one  of  them." 

"  Ah,  I  —  thank  you,"  stammered  Mortimer  —  "  for 
the  honor." 

"The  honor  is  ours.  Then  we  may  depend  upon 
you?" 

"I  know  of  nothing  now  to  prevent,"  replied  he, 
with  his  most  winning  smile;  but  he  thought,  "I'll 
find  something  to  prevent  if  I  am  expected  to  play 
gallant  to  that  next  daughter." 

_  "  Are  you  to  be  among  the  bridesmaids  ?  "  he  asked, 
turning  again  to  Eva. 

Mrs.  Meredith  walked  away,  in  despair  of  separating 
them,  to  request  the  same  favor  of  Dick  Waters. 

"Yes;  Sophy,  Noll,  and  I,  and  Jack  is  to  be  one  of 
the  groomsmen." 

"  Beyond  my  duties  to  the  bridegroom,  may  I  hope 
to  be  allowed  the  pleasure  of  attending  you  ?  "  he  asked 
in  his  most  airy  and  elegant  fashion. 

"I'm  to  be  with  Jack,"  replied  Eva,  half  frightened 
at  the  mere  thought  of  being  apportioned  as  the  com 
panion  of  Mr.  Salsby.  Jack  had  won  her  consent  to 
be  bridesmaid,  that  very  morning,  only  by  the  promise 
of  his  own  exclusive  attention. 

"What's  that  about  Jack?"  asked  Noll,  drawing 
near. 

"Only  that  he  has  promised  to  stand  with  me  at 
Hi's  wedding. 


KETUK3ST. 


145 


"That  leaves  Mr.  Salsby  to  you," said  Dick  to  Noll; 
"for  I  shall  stand  with  Sophy." 

"Who  told  you  so?"  snapped  Sophy. 

"  I  knew  you  couldn't  refuse,"  returned  Dick,  with  a 
covert  sneer. 

"  I  accept  the  position  with  pleasure,"  said  Mortimer. 

"But  I  don't !"  exclaimed  Noll.  "I  wonder  what 
Jack  means  by  leaving  me  to  shift  for  myself  in  this 
way.  Jack  belongs  to  me." 

"You  certainly  need  not  shift  for  yourself.  I  will 
clo  all  in  my  power  to  make  your  position  a  pleasant 
one,''  replied  Mortimer,  feeling,  perhaps  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  the  chagrin  of  not  finding  himself  the 
most  desirable  person  in  the  world. 

"  O,  you  are  very  good,"  Noll  said,  her  good  nature 
quickly  rallying.  "I'm  sure  I  couldn't  wish  for  better 
company,  except  Jack." 

Meanwhile,  a  little  apart,  Sophy  hissed  out,  in  reply 
to  Dick's  impudence,  "I  can  refuse,  and  I'll  be  sick 
the  day  of  the  wedding  before  I'll  stand  up  with 
you." 

"  No,  you  won't,"  muttered  Dick,  staring  boldly  into 
Sophy's  angry  face  with  his  wicked  black  eyes.  Then 
lie  added,  yet  lower,  "I  never  told  Salsby  yet  that  you 
were  the  little  fool  who  thought  I  was  going  to  risk 
breaking  my  neck  to  marry  you."  Dick  took  a  confi 
dential  attitude  beside  Sophy,  and  looked  across  the 
10 


146  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

room  before  he  brought  his  eyes  back  to  her  white  face. 
"  Are  you  going  to  stand  with  me  ?  "  he  aslced. 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to,"  gasped  Sophy,  choking 
with  fear,  shame,  and  rage. 

"  Yes,  you  will  have  to,"  Dick  coolly  agreed.  "  Your 
place  will  be  next  Ri ;  and  that  is  where  I  want  to  be. 
Therefore  we  stand  together."  And  Dick,  having  care 
fully  explained  his  position,  walked  away  to  tell  Mrs. 
Meredith  that  her  daughter  Sophy  had  done  him  the 
honor  to  allow  him  the  place  at  her  side  for  the  wed 
ding. 

Mrs.  Meredith  had  fully  intended  that  for  Mr.  Sals- 
by  but  as  Jack  had  promised  to  stand  with  Eva,  she 
was  sure  of  Mr.  Salsby  for  Noll,  and  therewith  rested 
content. 

The  Meredith  party  went  forth  from  the  dusty  city 
on  its  tour  of  summer  pleasures  two  days  later,  as  had 
been  planned.  Only  Noll  and  Eva  were  left  in  the 
great  house. 


MINXIE    TRUE.  147 


CHAPTER  X. 

MINNIE    TRUE. 

many  days  after  the  departure  of  the  Mere- 
dith  family,  Noll  and  Eva  were  driven  away  to 
spend  a  few  weeks  at  Mrs.  Dana's  house.  Minnie 
True  met  them  at  the  door,  with  her  bright  face  all 
smiles  and  dimples.  Noll  thought  her  enterprising 
little  pug  nose  seemed  lifted  on  purpose  for  kisses,  and 
she  acted  upon  the  fancy  by  quickly  bestowing  a  salute 
upon  its  very  tip.  Minnie  drew  back,  surprised  at  this 
novel  greeting,  and  looked  up  eagerly  into  Noll's  mer 
ry  face.  •  Then,  satisfied  with  her  investigations,  she 
kissed  Noll  heartily,  saying,  "I  like  you."  She  then 
led  them  to  the  room  that  had  been  prepared  for  them, 
assisted  in  laying  aside  their  hats,  and  rearranging  their 
toilets  before  going  down  to  Mrs.  Dana,  Eva  could 
not  help  feeling,  as  her  eyes  glanced  about  the  cham 
ber,  and  along  the  hall,  and  again  in  the  pleasant,  cool 
little  parlor,  where  Mrs.  Dana  sat  busy  with  some  fine 
sewing,  a  something  in  the  general  air  and  fashion  of 


148  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

the  house  tlint  reminded  her  of  her  own  mother's 
home  —  a  something  that  had  never  touched  her  in 
'all  aunt  Matilda's  grand  and  elegant  furnishings.  Per 
haps  the  lack  of  it  was  the  very  reason  why  she  could 
never  make  the  house  where  her  early  childhood  had 
been  spent  seem  like  home  to  her  again. 

Minnie  had  caught  up  from  a  basket  a  long  strip  of 
delicate  lace-like  texture,  and  her  small  fingers  were 
giving  magical  impulses  to  an  obedient  little  black  shut 
tle,  that  flew  in  and  out  among  loose,  intricate  threads, 
in  a  sagacious  manner,  quite  confusing  to  Eva's  slight 
acquaintance  with  tatting.  Mrs.  Dana  was  asking  all 
manner  of  kindly  questions  about  every  subject  likely 
to  interest  them.  But  Eva  could  not  keep  her  eyes 
from  watching,  and  her  heart  from  envying,  Minnie's 
deft  fingers  and  wise  shuttle,  that  went  always  just 
right,  and  never  tripped;  while  she  was  also  distantly 
admiring  the  beautiful  result  of  all  this  swift  precision. 
She  moved  to  a  seat  beside  Minnie,  and  took  up  the 
end  of  the  long  strip  of  lace,  saying,  with  a  sigh,  "  O 
I  wish  I  could  make  tatting  like  this ! " 

"Don't  look  at  that  end!"  cried  Minnie,  offering  the 
work  under  her  hands.  "  That  is  where  I  began,  and 
it  is  uneven  and  dirty  now." 

"  This  is  more  beautiful  yet!  "  said  Eva,  lost  in  hope 
less  admiration  at  the  fine,  even  rounds,  snow-white, 
and  laced  together  with  firm  bars  of  the  same  work. 


MINNIE    TKTJE.  149 

"  I  never  could  do  it.  I  had  such  a  fearfully  hard  time 
learning  the  mere  stitch !  I  nearly  wore  out  Hi's  pa 
tience,  and  she  has  a  great  deal." 

"  O,  if  you  have  learned  the  stitch,  the  rest  is  easy 
enough,"  said  Minnie.  "  It's  the  first  stitch  that  costs. 
I  can  show  you  how  all  this  pattern  is  worked  up  any 
day  while  you  are  here.  Then,  after  a  little  practice, 
you  will  do  it  as  well  as  I,  or  better." 

"I  am  afraid  it  would  take  me  a  long  time." 

"I  think  I  should  like  to  do  that  sort  of  work,"  said 
Noll,  who  had  drawn  near  to  look  at  the  lace,  and 
watch  the  flying  fingers  and  shuttle.  "  It  must  be 
very  easy." 

"  Why,  don't  you  remember,  Noll,  how  you  used  to 
say,  last  winter,  that  nothing  would  tempt  you  to  learn 
anything  that  was  as  hard  as  I  found  tatting?" 

"  Yes ;  but  Minnie  does  it  so  easily,  that  I  am  in 
clined  to  think,  my  dear  Evvy,  that  you  must  have 
been  unusually  stupid." 

"  Come  and  prove  it  then,"  cried  Minnie,  eagerly. 
"  There  is  no  time  like  now.  I  will  be  your  teacher, 
and  let  us  see  if  you  will  learn  any  easier  than  Eva 
did." 

Minnie  produced  a  little  white  shuttle  from  her 
work-basket,  and  was  rapidly  filling  it  from  a  spool. 

"I  suppose  it  isn't  any  harder  with  white  shuttles 
than  with  black  ones?"  Noll  suggested.  "I  remem 
ber  that  Eva  had  a  white  one." 


150  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Minnie  laughed.  "White  ones  are  prettier,  and 
generally  either  very  thin  and  frail,  or  very  thick  and 
clumsy.  The  black  ones  have  service  in  them.  This 
is  a  cunning  little  thing  that  Frank  brought  home  to 
me.  It  is  too  pretty  to  spoil,  as  I  certainly  should  if  I 
carried  it  about  in  my  pocket  with  my  work." 

"  Carry  work  in  your  pocket ! "  cried  Noll.  "  Pray, 
what  for?" 

"  To  have  it  handy,  to  be  sure.  I  accomplish  a  good 
deal  by  using  my  odd  minutes." 

"What  an  industrious  little  puss  you  are!"  said 
Noll,  arranging  the  thread  on  her  long,  awkward 
fingers,  as  Minnie  taught.  "  I  used  to  think  Eva  was 
a  tiresome  bee.  She  mends  all  her  own  clothes,  and 
often  makes  some  of  them,  just  to  have  something  to 
do,  she  says." 

"Why  shouldn't  she?"  put  in  Mrs.  Dana. 

Noll  looked  up  in  surprise.  "  I  thought,  why  should 
she,  rather,  when  she  has  a  larger  allowance  than  she 
spends,  and  there  is  not  the  least  need  of  it." 

"It  is  better  to  do  even  unnecessary  work  than  to 
be  idle,"  replied  Mrs.  Dana.  "  Work  completed  is  al 
ways  a  satisfaction." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'd  rather  be  idle,"  replied  truthful  Noll, 
with  a  blush,  feeling,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life, 
ashamed  of  her  lazy  habits,  delicious  day-dreams,  and 
wasted  hours.  "  My  thread  won't  slip,  like  yours,"  she 
added  to  Minnie. 


MINNIE    TKUE.  151 

"Ah,  you  have  been  tying  knots  with  the  wrong 
thread!  I  told  you  to  make  all  the  knots  with  the 
upper  thread,  then  the  other  will  slip  through  them. 
There !  begin  again ; "  and  Minnie  snapped  off  the 
abortive  round,  and  gave  the  fresh  end  into  Noll's 
fingers. 

"  But  don't  you  think,  Mary  — "  and  Eva  stopped, 
frightened ;  for  the  home-feeling,  and  the  presence  of 
Minnie  and  Mary  True,  had  made  her  forget  for  the 
moment,  and  brought  the  old  girlish  name  to  her  lips 
again. 

"Never  mind,"  said  Mrs.  Dana;  "call  me  Mary,  if  itt 
still  seems  natural  to  you,  as  it  must  while  you  are  here 
with  Minnie  and  me.     And,  at  any  rate,  let  me  hear 
what  you  were  going  to  say." 

"Don't  you  think  necessary  work  is  a  great  deal 
more  satisfactory  and  pleasant  than  what  is  unneces 
sary?" 

"  We  should  hardly  feel  like  working  at  what  we 
considered  unnecessary.  In  one  sense,  all  work  is 
necessary  —  needful  to  the  gratification  of  some  desire. 
There  is  work  unavoidable  in  order  to  sustain  life  itself, 
that  earns  for  the  poor  their  daily  bread.  And  there 
is  work  that  seems  equally  necessary  to  those  whose 
life  is  not  so  hard  and  barren  of  pleasure,  and  who 
recognize  other  wants  springing  from  the  refinements 
of  civilization.  To  us  it  is  a  necessity  that  our  food  be 


152  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

temptingly  prepared,  cmr  clothing  clean  and  neat,  and 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  needful  work  accordingly. 
But  the  savage,  who  recognizes  no  such  absurd, 
necessities,  saves  a  deal  of  labor  by  his  less  cultured 
tastes." 

"  I  cannot  quite  think  that  all  labor  is  needful,"  said 
Eva,  while  Noll  snapped  off  her  third  failure,  and  be 
gan  again.  "What  is  the  use  of  having  one's  night 
gowns  ruffled  all  around,  and  from  top  to  bottom?  It 
is  a  great  deal  of  work."  Eva  was  recalling  some  of 
the  needle  wonders  of  Hi's  trousseau,  over  which  she 
knew  Mrs.  Meredith's  seamstress  was  bending,  through 
all  these  hot  summer  dayg. 

"  I  am  glad  you  do  not  quite  yield  to  my  statement. 
And  now  I  must  show  you  another  side  of  the  matter. 
I  said  every  kind  of  work  is  created  by  a  demand  for 
it,  in  order  to  gratify  some  human  desire.  But  there 
is  a  great  difference  in  the  importance,  purity, 
and  nobleness  of  our  desires.  It  should  be  our  en 
deavor  to  choose  such  work  as  will  gratify  and  stimu 
late  our  holier  feelings  and  inclinations." 

"  And  isn't  all  this  time,  thought,  and  money  spent 
upon  dress  an  awful  waste  ?  "  asked  Noll. 

"It  often  is,  though  it  may  not  be  always  so.  A 
portion  of  every  one's  time,  thought,  and  money  must 
be  devoted  to  dress.  It  is  for  each  to  judge  for  her 
self  how  much  she  is  justified  in  giving  to  this  part 
of  life." 


MINNIE    TKUE.  153 

Eva  had  pushed  a  cricket  to  Mrs.  Dana's  feet,  and 
dropped  her  shower  of  curls  over  her  lap.  "What 
is  it,  Eva  dear?"  and  Mary  Dana's  gentle  face  bent 
over  her. 

"  Only  that  you,  and  everything  here,  remind  me 
so  of  mother  and  home.  You  always  seemed  to  me 
like  my  mother." 

Mary  kissed  her  fair  forehead,  and  said,  kindly,  "I 
hope  it  is  pleasant  for  you  here." 

"O,  yes,  indeed!     It  is  just  like  heaven." 

"  Heaven,  Eva  !     What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked. 

Noll  spitefully  bit  off  her  sixth  blunder,  and  mut 
tered,  "  Pshaw ! "  Minnie  came  to  her  assistance  with 
renewed  directions. 

Eva  whispered  softly,  "  Only  that  since  mother  and 
Charley  are  gone,  everything  seems  strange  and  cold 
to  me,  as  if  I  were  in  a  foreign  country,  and  didn't 
know  the  language.  Sometimes  I  am  afraid  I'll  never 
find  home  again,  till  I  go  to  mamma  in  heaven.  No 
one  understands  me,  nor  I  any  one  else.  Not  even 
Jack  and  Noll,  though  they  are  very  good  and  kind  to 
me.  I  feel  so  lonesome  with  everybody!"  and  Eva's 
eyes  had  a  far-away  look,  as  she  sat  with  her  arms 
across  Mrs.  Dana's  lap. 

"  I  think  we  all  get  a  little  lost  among  our  friends 
sometimes,"  she  replied. 

The  dinner  bell  rang  before  Eva  left  her  place,  or 


154  EVA  BOBEKTS'  EDUCATION. 

Noll  made  a  successful  round.  They  had  not  heard 
the  hall  door  open,  and  a  quick  step  strike  the  stair. 
So,  when  they  had  reached  the  dining-room,  it  was  a 
grand  surprise  to  hear  Frank's  voice,  and  find  him- 
there  before  them.  Noll  made  a  stately  bow  on  being 
presented.  She  had  obtained  a  very  high  opinion  of 
Frank  True  from  Eva's  fragmentary  remarks  concern 
ing  him.  Eva  blushed  as  she  remembered  their  meet 
ing  in  St.  James'  Chapel,  but  greeted  him  with  a 
genuine  welcome,  that  did  not  think  of  objecting  to 
the  brotherly  kiss  he  had  given  her,  as  well  as  Min 
nie,  from  her  earliest  remembrance.  Frank,  grown 
older  with  his  eighteen  years,  but  yet  not  quite  so  wise 
as  he  might  have  been,  marked  the  flitting  blush,  mis 
understood  it,  and  thought,  with  a  tugging  at  his  heart, 
"  She  is  growing  up,  and  by  and  by  she  will  be  coming 
out  and  looking  for  a  husband,  as  other  girls  do.  I 
suppose  I  must  not  kiss  her  any  more." 

Frank  had  given  up  his  intended  summer  trip,  and 
returned  to  the  city  to  remain  until  his  college  term 
reopened.  The  reason  for  his  sudden  change  of  pro 
gramme  he  did  not  give  till  alone  with  his  sister  Mary 
—  scarcity  of  funds.  He  had  found  his  mother  setting 
out  upon  her  country  visit  with  far  too  slim  a  purse  for 
her  comfort  and  pleasure.  He  had  forced  her  to  use 
what  had  been  set  apart  for  himself;  and  now  he  was 
quite  compensated,  he  gayly  announced,  by  finding 


MINNIE    TRUE.  155 

that  his  good  fates  had  made  him  one  of  this  very 
select  and  recherche  party  of  fair  ladies,  than  whom  he 
could  not  have  chosen  more  desirable  ones  from  his 
entire  circle  of  acquaintances,  which,  by  the  way,  was 
anything  but  extensive.  > 

"What  will  you  do  to-day?"  asked  Mrs.  Dana,  as 
the  girls  rose  from  the  breakfast  table  next  morning. 

"I  suppose  we  shall  hardly  want  to  go  out  in  this 
heat,  unless  we  have  something  very  well  worth  going 
for,"  said  Minnie,  looking  interrogatively  at  her  guests. 

Both  the  girls  concurred  in  this  opinion. 

"Then  how  shall  we  amuse  ourselves?"  said  Minnie. 
"  There  is  a  croquet-table  in  the  upper  hall.  Do  you 
like  croquet?" 

Noll  was  silent,  and  Eva  replied,  politely,  "  Pretty 
well." 

"  Truth  is,"  Noll  broke  out,  "  we  got  dreadfully  tired 
of  knocking  those  little  balls  at  school.  Madame  Van- 
rie  set  up  a  table,  because  it  was  a  fashionable  game, 
and  used  to  keep  a  full  set  of  us  girls  at  play  there,  in 
all  our  leisure  hours,  to  put  us  in  practice." 

"  O,  dear !  "  laughed  Minnie  ;  "  I  don't  wonder  you 
were  tired  of  it." 

"I'd  rather  play  'home'  than  anything  else,"  said 
Eva.  "What  should  you  do  if  we  were  not  here? 
Can't  we  do  it  with  you  ?  Then  it  will  be  just  like 
'  at  home.' " 


156  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

The  words  did  not  have  the  same  significance  to 
Noll  that  Eva  assigned  to  them.  Noll  waited  to  learn 
what  magic  interpretation  should  transform  them  into 
something  to  be  so  particularly  desired. 

Minnie  understood  Eva,  but  she  also  observed  Noll's 
blank  face.  "I  am  afraid  you  would  not  find  much 
enjoyment  in  my  way  of  being  at  home,"  she  replied. 
"It  does  very  well  when  one  really  is  at  home,  and  is 
eager  to  get  on  with  work  and  study ;  but  it  isn't  so 
good  for  entertainment  when  one  is  away  on  a 
visit." 

"But  tell  us  what  it  is,"  said  Noll,  tucking  up  one 
foot  upon  an  ottoman  before  sitting  down,  in  the  pleas 
ant  and  cool  western-looking  library,  whither  Minnie 
had  led  them.  Mrs.  Dana  was  busy  superintending 
her  household,  and  Frank  had  vanished  from  the 
breakfast-room  as  soon  as  the  meal  was  ended.  So 
the  three  girls  disposed  themselves  easily  and  comforta 
bly  for  a  lazy  chat.  "  I  should  like  to  know  how  you 
live  at  home,"  continued  Noll,  "  because  everything 
seems  somehow  different  from  what  it  does  at  our 
house,  and  yet  I  can't  tell  exactly  how  or  why ;  "  and 
Noll's  puckered  forehead  and  puzzled  face  would  have 
been  a  study  for  a  physiognomist. 

"But  you  know  this  is  sister  Mary's  home,  and  not 
mine." 

"  So  it  is;  I  forgot.     But  isn't  it  very  like  yours?" 


MINNIE    TRUE.  157 

"Yes,  somewhat,  because  Mary  is  like  mother. 
When  I  am  at  home,"  Minnie  slowly  continued,  after 
a  pause,  "I  have  my  work  before  me,  and  I  just  keep 
right  along  with  it." 

"  You  mean,  by  work,  your  school  work  ? " 

"Yes,  and  a  good  many  things  beside." 

"I  know;  you  are  a  bee,  like  Eva." 

Minnie  laughed.  "  I  never  was  so  classified  among 
entomological  specimens  before,  and  don't  lay  claim  to 
the  honor  now." 

"Dear  me!"  and  Noll  got  off  her  ottoman,  and 
went  peering  about  the  book-cases. 

"  What  are  you  looking  for  ?  "  asked  Minnie. 

"  Webster's  Unabridged.  I'm  an  ignoramus,  I  know, 
but  I  never  did  hear  that  word  before." 

Minnie  blushed  that  she  should  have  brought  her 
guest  to  confusion,  and  said,  meekly,  "  I  am  sorry  I 
used  it,  then ;  but  there  really  isn't  any  other  one  that 
has  the  same  meaning;"  as  she  laid  the  great  volume 
upon  a  desk  before  Noll. 

"  I'm  glad  you  used  it.  You  have  become  the  un 
conscious  means  of  enlarging  my  vocabulary  to  the 
extent  of  six  syllables,  and  I  am  grateful  just  in  pro 
portion  to  the  length  of  the  word.  I  revel  in  long 
words,  only  I  like  to  be  sure  I  am  fully  acquainted 
with  their  various  shades  of  meaning." 

"  There  are  no  shades  of  meaning  to  this  one,"  said 


158       EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Minnie.  "  It  is  as  solid  and  sharp  as  steel ;  made  for 
use,  and  not  for  beauty,  like  all  technical  terms." 

"Here  it  is!  ' Pertaining  to  the  science  of  insects.' 
No  two  meanings  to  that ;  "  and  Noll  replaced  the 
dictionary,  and  resumed  her  seat.  "  You  were  going 
'to  tell  me  what  you  work  at,  besides  your  school- 
books." 

"  Well,  there  is  my  music." 

"  I  count  that  among  my  school  studies.  Of  course 
we  all  take  turns  at  hammering  the  piano  —  poor  tor 
tured  temple  of  tones !  I  am  glad  pianos  have  no  ears 
to  hear  the  sounds  learners  draw  from  them,  nor 
hearts  to  feel  the  jar  of  discords." 

"  I'm  sure  you  never  torture  yours.  You  speak  so 
feelingly  of  it,  as  if  you  loved  it,"  said  Minnie,  her 
face  lighting  up  with  the  interest  of  a  real  musician. 

"You  are  greatly  mistaken  there.  I  am  the  very 
worst  hand  at  the  piano  in  the  whole  family." 

"  How  can  that  be  when  you  love  it  ? " 

"  Can't  you  love  poetry  without  being  a  poet,  and 
music  without  being  a  musician  ?  O,  I  can  dream  such 
beautiful  music  in  my  head !  but  when  I  try  to  make  it 
alive  and  real  —  such  bungling!  Whatever  spirit  of 
music  there  is  in  me  was  born  hopelessly  dumb.  Still, 
I  practise,  because  ma  says  it  is  necessary  to  my  educa 
tion.  But  everything  I  try  to  play  is  terribly  unsatis 
factory,  and  leaves  me  —  well,  hungry ! " 


MINNIE    TRUE.  159 

"They  tell  me  music  is  my  forte,"  said  Minnie, 
modestly;  "so  I  am  studying  that  as  a  specialty,  with 
my  school  lessons,  that  I  may  make  myself  useful  by 
it  some  time." 

"  I  should  think,"  said  Noll,  after  a  little  reflection, 
"  it  would  be  very  invigorating  to  have  a  specialty." 

"It  is,"  replied  Minnie.  "It  makes  you  feel  that 
you  have  a  plan  of  work,  perhaps  for  your  whole  life, 
before  you.  Of  course  it  will  be  subject  to  all  sorts  of 
modifications  as  you  go  on.  I  only  know  that  music  is 
my  specialty;  whether  I  shall  teach  it,  compose  it,  or 
express  it,  I  neither  know  nor  care.  That  will  decide 
itself  at  the  right  time.  Meanwhile  I  can  study  with 
a  fixed  purpose,  and  perfect  myself  in  that  one  branch 
of  art.  When  something  points  to  one  of  those  three 
branches  of  my  study,  as  most  fit  or  useful,  I  suppose  I 
shall  follow  in  that  direction." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  expressing  it?" 

"As  an  artist  —  a  musical  artist;  but  I  do  not  flat 
ter  myself  that  I  have  any  great  talent  in  that  direc 
tion." 

"Like  Patti  or  Parepa?" 

"  Like  Gottschalk,  Ole  Bull,  or  Camilla  Urso,"  said 
Minnie,  laughing  and  flushing. 

"  Did  you  ever  learn  the  violin  ? " 

"  I  am  studying  it  now.  I  like  it  better  than  the 
piano." 


100  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Eva  came  down  from  a  chair,  on  which  she  had 
mounted  to  examine  some  books  on  a  high  shelf,  and 
joined  the  conversation.  "  Noll  has  asked  questions 
enough  for  a  while.  It  is  my  turn  now.  I  wish,  Min 
nie,  you  would  tell  us  just  how  you  pass  a  day  when 
you  are  at  home." 

"It  is  very  little  to  tell,"  said  Minnie.  "  I  generally 
take  two  hours  for  the  piano  before  school.  My  school 
hours  are  only  from  nine  till  one  ;  so  I  get  t\vo  more 
hours,  from  two  till  four,  for  the  violin.  Then,  if  I  have 
any  school  lessons  to  prepare  at  home,  I  do  that  next; 
and  when  all  my  study  is  over  for  the  day,  I  go  to 
mother.  Sometimes  I  read  to  her,  and  sometimes  we 
only  chat ;  but  then  I  have  my  sewing  or  tatting. 
She  always  has  her  work.  After  dinner,  I  have  an 
evening  till  nine;  and  now  that  I  am  fifteen,  I  shall 
sit  up  till  ten,  when  we  are  at  home  again.  Evenings 
I  do  just  what  I  choose — play  and  sing  to  mother, 
read,  or  sew.  That  is  all." 

"  I  wish  we  could  do  so,"  said  Noll,  who  was  begin 
ning  to  appreciate  Eva's  enthusiasm  for  home. 

"  We  tiun't  accomplish  much,"  sighed  Eva. 

"What  school  is  it  where  you  have  such  hours?" 
Noll  asked,  suddenly. 

Minnie'  gave  the  name  and  street.  It  was  a  small, 
private  place,  of  no  note. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  we  can  do,  Evvy,"  Noll  con- 


MINNIE    TRUE.  161 

tinned;  "I'll  persuade  father  to  let  us  begin  the  new- 
year  there,  instead  of  at  Madame  Vanrie's,  and  we  can 
try  if  we  can't  accomplish  something,  too.  I  don't 
think  much  of  Madame  Vanrie,  and  I  don't  believe 
father  does,  though  he  never  says  much,  because  Sophy 
is  always  scolding  about  her." 

"  I  should  like  to  change  schools,  if  Minnie's  is  a 
good  one,"  said  Eva ;  "  and  it  would  be  delightful  to 
meet  her  every  day." 

"  Yes,  and  we  will  do  it,"  Noll  announced,  de 
cisively. 

"  Well,  girls,"  said  Mrs.  Dana,  coming  into  the  room, 
"  you  have  chatted  busily  enough  to  make  up  for  hav 
ing  no  other  entertainment,  I  suppose." 

"  We  have  held  a  great  discussion,  and  come  to  a 
grand  decision,"  said  Eva. 

"  Let  me  hear  results,"  Mrs.  Dana  replied,  seating 
herself  among  them. 

"  Evvy  and  I  are  going  to  leave  Madame  Vanrie's 
school,  and  go  to  the  same  one  that  Minnie  does." 

"I  should  think  it  would  require  the  sanction  of 
some  one  in  authority,  before  you  could  finally  de 
cide  any  such  question." 

"  I  influence  the  authorities,"  said  Noll,  with  droll 
gravity.     "I  know,  if  I  explain  matters  to  father,  he 
will  approve ;  and,  when  he  is  won  over,  he  will  bring 
ma  along,  too,  perforce." 
11 


162  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"Very  sagacious,"  laughed  Mrs.  Dana. 

"  But,"  said  Eva,  "  the  trouble  is,  we  haven't  any 
specialties  to  be  at  work  upon  in  all  our  spare  time,  as 
Minnie  has." 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  that,"  said  Noll. 

"Why  don't  you  each  choose  one?"  asked  Minnie. 

"So  we  will!     Let  me  see,"  began  Noll. 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry  about  so  important  a  matter," 
said  Mrs.  Dana.  "  If  your  choice  is  to  be  of  any  ser 
vice,  it  is  a  weighty  question.  I  propose  that  you 
leave  the  subject  now,  and  think  about  it  at  your 
leisure.  If  you  come  to  any  decision,  we  will  hear  it 
on  the  last  evening  of  .your  visit." 

"  I  shall  want  all  that  time  to  find  out  what  I  am 
good  for,"  said  Eva. 

"  Seems  to  me  I  shall  never  be  able  to  choose  one 
thing  and  stick  to  it"  said  Noll. 

"But  you  must,"  cried  Minnie.  "If  you  keep 
changing  your  business,  you  will  never  be  very  good 
at  anvthing." 

»/  O 

"I  am  afraid  I  never  shall,"  acquiesced  Noll, humbly. 

"Business?"  queried  Eva. 

Noll  unconsciously  straightened  herself  upon  her 
ottoman,  as  Frank's  step  came  along  the  hall,  and 
Frank's  face  appeared  inside  the  library  door. 

"What  are  you  all  doing  here?"  he  asked,  in  some 
surprise  at  the  solemn  little  conclave. 


MINNIE    TRUE.  163 

« 

"  Holding  a  Yankee  town  meeting,"  said  Minnie. 

"  Waiting  for  you,"  replied  Mrs.  Dana.  "  Is  every 
thing  ready  ?  " 

"  No  ;  you  are  not,"  returned  Frank,  as  lie  tossed  his 
hat  upon  a  table,  and  took  a  chair  among  them. 
"Who  is  moderator?" 

"  Mary,"  said  Minnie. 

"Mrs.  Moderator,  I  move  that  this  meeting  be 
adjourned  sine  die,  that  the  members  may  make 
ready  for  a  trip  to  Staten  Island." 

"  Second  the  motion  !  "  Minnie  joyfully  exclaimed. 

"And  I!"     "And  I!"  cried  Noll  and  Eva. 

"As  the  entire  meeting  seconds  the  motion,  there  is 
hardly  need  of  putting  it  to  vote,"  said  Mrs.  Dana. 
"Frank's  impatience  shows  that  all  is  ready  but  our 
selves,  so  I  recommend  hasty  toilets." 

"My  impatience!"  demurred  Frank.  "I  thought  I 
had  exhibited  anything  but  that,  in  going  through  the 
tedious  parliamentary  formula  to  start  you  to  get 
ready." 

"  O,  you  behaved  beautifully !  "  Mary  rejoined ;  "  but 
you  were  impatient,  or  the  parliamentary  formula 
would  not  have  been  tedious."  And  Mrs.  Dana  fol 
lowed  the  girls  up  stairs,  to  heed  her  own  recom 
mendation  of  a  hasty  toilet. 


164  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

NOLL   AND    EVA. 

A  SHORT  drive  brought  them  to  a  small  wharf  upon 
JL\-  the  river,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city.  A  pretty 
Bail-boat  lay  here,  and  a  skipper  was  stretched  full 
length  upon  her  deck,  as  if  to  dry  in  the  sunshine. 
The  man  rolled  lazily  to  his  feet,  while  they  alighted 
from  the  carriage,  and,  with  Frank,  assisted  the  ladies 
to  step  aboard.  While  they  settled  themselves  and  a 
large  hamper  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  spread  um 
brellas,  the  skipper  pushed  off  and  spread  his  sail. 
Soon  they  were  gliding  smoothly  and  rapidly  down 
the  river.  Frank  had  brought  a  huge  light  gingham 
umbrella,  which  he  arranged  so  as  to  comfortably  pro 
tect  himself  and  Eva,  while  he  kept  one  hand  free  to 
manage  the  helm  according  to  the  skipper's  order.  A 
few  hours'  sail  brought  them  to  a  pleasant  cove  in 
Staten  Island,  where  a  cool  and  shady  grove  reached 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  a  boat-house  stood  half  hid 
behind  a  jutting  rock.  Before  their  boat  was  fairly 


THE   SAIL.  —  Page  164. 


NOLL   AXD    EVA.  165 

secured  beside  the  little  wharf,  a  man  appeared  from 
a  well-kept  terraced  garden  higher  up  the  island  ;  but 
upon  recognizing  Mrs.  Dana,  lie  changed  his  first  inten 
tion  of  ordering  the  party  off  with  the  information 
that  these  were  private  grounds,  and  no  picnics  re 
ceived,  to  a  cordial  welcome,  and  all  the  assistance  he 
could  render  about  landing.  The  owner  of  these 
beautiful  grounds,  a  friend  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dana,  was 
travelling  in  the  mountains  with  his  family.  Mrs.  Dana 
had  often  visited  here,  and  now  brought  her  young 
friends  to  picnic  in  the  grove,  by  invitation  of  the 
lady  herself.  The  sail  and  the  cool  breeze  of  the  sea 
had  so  sharpened  their  appetites  that  they  were  glad 
to  first  attack  the  hamper  they  had  brought.  After 
wards  they  wandered  through  the  grove,  gathering 
green  leaves  and  little  wild  flowers.  Then  they  drew 
around  a  mossy  old  rock,  on  the  edge,  to  see  the 
sun  set. 

"  I  am  going  to  make  a  wreath,  for  Mary,  of  my 
leaves  and  flowers,"  said  Eva.  "  We  will  crown  her 
our  queen." 

"And  I  will  make  one  for  Noll,"  Minnie  rejoined. 

"  Then  I  will  try  and  gobble  mine  together  as  well 
as  I  can  for  Evvy,"  said  Noll.  "  I'm  no  sort  of  a  hand 
at  making  pretty  things." 

"  I  must  see  that  Minnie  is  properly  adorned  out  of 
my  lapful  of  treasures,"  said  Mrs.  Dana. 


166  EVA  BOBEKTS'  EDUCATION". 

"  Seems  to  me  you  have  made  a  very  pretty  ring  of 
yourselves,  and  left  me  out  in  the  cold,"  Frank  said. 

"  Never  mind,  Frank,"  said  Eva  ;  "  I  was  going  to 
make  you  one  as  soon  as  I  had  finished  Mary's." 

"All  right,  then,"  he  replied,  throwing  himself  down 
beside  her.  "  Shall  I  pull  off  the  leaves  for  you  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  only  don't  leave  little  tails  to  them.  Take 
your  knife  and  cut  each  stem.  I've  been  biting  them 
till  my  teeth  ache." 

"  Frank  !  "  exclaimed  Noll,  suddenly,  "  I  wish  you'd 
tell  me  what  I'm  good  for." 

Frank  raised  his  eyebrows,  and  would  have  enjoyed 
laughing  if  Noll  had  not  seemed  so  fearfully  in  earnest. 
As  it  was,  he  could  not  help  replying,  "  Good  for  ask 
ing  surprising  questions.  Capital  for  that,  I  should 
say." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  one  of  the  many  things  I  am  bad 
for,"  Noll  gravely  and  sadly  answered. 

"  What  did  you  mean  by  asking  me  that  ?  "  inquired 
Frank,  seriously. 

"  I  really  wanted  to  know." 

"  Noll  and  I  are  going  to  choose  a  profession  while 
we  are  with  Mary.  She  is  to  approve  our  choice,  and 
then  we  shall  study  for  that  special  object,"  explained 
Eva. 

"A  profession  !"  grimaced  Frank. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  mean  minister,  doctor,  or  lawyer ; 
but  just  as  Minnie  has  taken  music." 


NOLL    AXD    EVA.  167 

"And  did  you  wish  me  to  give  my  opinion  of  what 
you  had  better  choose?"  asked  Frank  of  Noll. 

«  Yes." 

"  Then  I  must  beg  you  to  wait  a  while,  till  I  have 
had  time  to  form  one.  I  am  not  competent,  on  so 
short  acquaintance,  to  give  an  opinion  on  such  a  serious 
question." 

"I  know  what  Noll  could  do  splendidly,"  said 
Minnie. 

"  What  ?  "  cried  Noll,  eagerly. 

"  O,  I'm  not  going  to  say  till  we  hold  our  final  meet 
ing.  I  hope  you  will  think  of  it  yourself.  If  you  do 
not,  I  shall  offer  my  opinion  for  your  consideration, 
then." 

"  O,  dear,  I  shall  never  know.  Hold  up  your  head, 
Evvy ;  "  and  a  wreath  was  laid  gently  on  Eva's  fore 
head. 

"  May  I  come  to  your  final  meeting  ?  " 

"  Ask  Mary.     She  is  chairman,"  said  Minnie. 

Frank  looked  up  at  his  sister. 

"  I  think  that  ought  to  be  decided  by  the  parties 
most  interested.  How  is  it,  girls  ? "  said  Mrs.  Dana, 
appealing  to  Noll  and  Eva. 

"  I'm  willing  he  should  come,"  said  Eva. 

"So  am  I,  if  he  will  only  have  an  opinion  about 
me,"  said  Noll. 

Thus  Frank  became  a  member  of  the  occupation 


168  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

meeting,  as  Minnie  called  it.  The  wreaths  were  all  com 
pleted  and  placed  upon  their  heads.  The  sun  was  just 
disappearing  in  a  sultry  red  haze,  across  the  Jersey  flats, 
as  they  came  down  upon  the  little  curving  beach,  whose 
two  horns  reached  far  out  into  the  water.  They  were 
quickly  in  the  boat,  and  the  skipper  soon  had  it  skim 
ming  along  up  the  lazy  river.  It  was  far  into  the 
evening  when  they  again  moored  beside  the  little  wharf 
whence  they  had  started  in  the  morning.  The  carriage 
had  been  waiting  two  hours.  They  were  all  rather 
weary  with  the  long  sail,  and  were  glad  to  be  jolted 
over  the  streets  toward  home. 

Noll  wanted  to  give  up  tatting  after  her  fruitless  at 
tempts  of  the  first  evening.  But  Minnie  would  not 
allow  it.  She  declared  she  -wanted  to  see  just  how 
much  duller  Noll  would  prove  herself  than  Eva.  As 
Eva  had  learned,  certainly  Noll  could,  if  she  only  per 
severed.  So  she  persistently  brought  forward,  every 
day,  the  same  little  white  shuttle,  from  which,  already, 
half  the  thread  had  disappeared  with  no  apparent 
progress.  At  last  Noll  grew  determined,  saying  that 
she  "wouldn't  be  such  an  idiot.  She  could  and  she 
^could  learn."  After  that  she  very  soon  did  learn,  and 
before  their  visit  was  over  she  had  made  nearly  a  yard 
of  plain  rounds,  and  several  inches  of  Minnie's  own 
beautiful  and  intricate  lace  pattern.  Minnie  felt  that 
the  rousing  of  Noll's  own  interest  and  perseverance, 


NOLL    AND    EVA.  169 

which  had  made  her  final  success  in  the  work,  was  her 
share  in  the  triumph.  Noll  might  be  proud,  of  her 
tatting  —  Minnie  was  proud  of  Noll.  Their  choice  of 
business  interested  the  girls  greatly,  and  many  were 
the  talks  they  had  about  it.  But  Minnie  persistently 
refused  to  suggest  any  new  course  to  either  of  them, 
though  she  did  not  hesitate  to  advance  many  consider 
ations  for  or  against  any  one  they  might  be  discussing. 
Frank  and  Mrs.  Dana  frequently  had  some  pleasure 
trip  planned  for  them,  and  Noll  declared  she  had  seen 
more  of  her  native  city  in  her  visit  at  Mrs.  Dana's  than 
in  all  the  rest  of  her  life  together.  But  the  pleasant 
four  weeks  drew  to  a  close  at  length.  Eva  could  not 
help  a  feeling  of  sadness  at  leaving  the  happy  home 
like  house,  where  she  had  met  old  friends,  and  seemed  to 
be  once  more  a  little  girl.  Poor  little  Eva !  only  fourteen, 
and  yet  feeling  her  childhood  to  be  a  time  long  past. 
Even  Noll,  a  year  older,  a  foot  taller,  and  a  long  way 
Aviser  in  many  things,  seemed  younger  than  Eva.  For 
truly  it  is  sorrow  that  ages  us,  and  Eva  had  felt  that  in 
her  young  heart.  It  was  a  serious  and  earnest  thing  to 
her,  this  h'xing  upon  some  one  branch  of  industry  as 
her  special  work.  It  meant  something  by  which  she 
could  provide  for  herself,  and  perhaps  for  others,  if  she 
should  ever  again  see  such  hard  times  as  she  had  known 
in -that  year  at  Campfields;  something  by  which  she 
might,  at  least,  never  again  be  compelled  to  live  upon 


170  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Charley's  earnings  and  self-sacrifice.  For  Noll, however, 
it  was  only  something  to  interest — to  keep  her  busy 
and  out  of  mischief.  No  wonder  Noll  thought  of  vari 
ous  delightful  methods  of  accomplishing  such  ends;  and 
no  wonder  Eva  found  it  hard  to  select  any  one  thing,  upon 
which  she  dared  risk  the  securing  of  such  important 
objects.  Thus  it  was  with  very  undecided  minds  that 
the  girls  gathered  in  Mrs.  Dana's  library,  on  the  last 
evening  of  their  visit. 

"It  isn't  the  least  bit  of  use,  Mrs.  Dana,"  said  Noll, 
"for  me  to  try  to  choose  a  profession.  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  stick  to  it  six  months,  if  I  have  one,  much  less 
ever  do  any  good  with  it." 

"But  you  must  stick  to  it;  and  then  I'll  take  the. 
risk  of  your  not  doing  any  good  with  it,"  replied  Mrs. 
Dana. . 

"You  say  I  must;  but  how  can  I,  when  it  isn't  in 
me?" 

"  I  admit  that  there  is  not  in  you  much  natural  per 
severance.  You  must  balance  that  defect  by  calling  in 
the  aid  of  some  other  quality  that  is  in  you." 

"  What  other  quality  ?  " 

"  Sign  a  pledge  with  yourself  that  you  will  keep 
steadily  to  the  pursuit  you  have  chosen.  Then  your 
honor  steps  in,  and  your  self-respect.  I  am  sure  you 
will  not  fail  when  those  qualities  come  to  your  aid." 

"  0,  Mrs.  Dana,  I  believe  I  should  succeed  in  that 


NOLL    AND    EVA.  171 

way.  But  how  do  you  know  I  shall  certainly  do  good 
with  my  profession,  —  accomplish  anything  in  this  big 
world,  —  even  if  I  do  persevere?" 

"  Because  that  really  is  in  you.  You  have  a  true 
and  earnest  desire  to  become  a  woman  who  shall  be 
good  for  something  in  the  world.  Nothing  will  hinder 
you  from  achieving  this  except  your  unsteadiness  to 
any  one  purpose.  You  have  excellent  talents,  but  you 
play  with  them,  instead  of  using  them.  I  know  many 
people  persevere  forever,  and  never  seem  to  amount  to 
much  ;  but  it  is  because  they  persevere  in  a  work  for 
which  they  are  not,  either  by  nature  or  by  education, 
fitted." 

"  Well,  I  wonder  what  I  am  fitted  for,  either  by 
nature  or  education,"  sighed  Noll. 

"  Now  is  the  time  to  find  out  your  natural  bent,  and 
then  you  can  adapt  your  educational  course  to  it." 

Noll  sat  silent  and  thoughtful.  Leaving  her  to  study 
out  her  problem  for  herself,  Mrs.  Dana  turned  to 
Eva. 

"  What  have  you  found  to  be  your  strongest  inclina 
tion  ?  " 

"  I  really  don't  know,  dear  Mary,"  Eva  replied,  in  a 
gad  and  just  a  little  mortified  tone.  "It  seems  such 
an  important  matter ;  and  I  don't  think  I  have  any 
natural  bent." 

"  It  is  an  important  matter.    If  I  thought  your  uncle 


172  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Martyn  was  enough  acquainted  with  you  to  aid  you,  I 
should  have  advised  your  consulting  him;  but  —  " 

"O,  he  knows  very  little  about  me,"  replied  Eva. 
"He  just  loves  and  cares  for  me  because  I  am  his 
sister's  child ;  but  he  has  only  seen  me  in  those  few 
weeks  before  I  came  to  aunt  Matilda's,  since  I  was  a 
very  little  girl." 

"  And  Charley  ?  "  suggested  Minnie. 

"  I  wrote  to  him  all  about  it." 

"And  what  did  he  say?"  asked  Minnie,  eagerly. 

"  He  could  not  help  me  any,"  replied  Eva,  dropping 
her  head  over  her  work,  while  a  pink  color  crept  slowly 
out  to  the  very  tips  of  her  little  ears ;  for  Charley  had 
thought  this  choosing  a  profession  very  comical  busi 
ness  for  girls,  and  he  told  Eva  that  she  would  be  most 
successful,  and  do  most  good  in  the  world,  as  some  good 
man's  wife.  It  was  not  at  all  the  sort  of  answer  she 
had  hoped  for,  and  somehow  it  had  grieved  her  sadly; 
It  might  be  all  very  well  to  be  a  good  man's  wife ;  but 
supposing  she  never  had  a  chance  to  marry  any  one  she 
liked.  How  dreadful  it  would  be  to  marry  old  Mr. 
Donaldson,  like  Hi,  and  consider  him  always  as  just  a 
tolerable  sort  of  bore  !  Would  Charley  ever  want  her 
to  be  such  a  "  good  man's  wife  "  ? 

"Didn't  he  offer  you  a  single  suggestion?"  nsked 
Mrs.  Dana,  feeling  that  it  was  not  exactly  like  Charley 
to  have  nothing  at  all  to  say  upon  such  a  question. 


NOLL   AND   EVA.  173 

"Nothing  that  was  good  for  anything." 

"What  did  he  say?"  Mrs.  Dana  was  busy  with  a 
pattern  in  colored  wools,  or  she  would  have  seen  Eva's 
distressed  little  face,  and  refrained  from  questioning. 

Frank  noticed  the  pink  deepen  to  an  uncomfortable 
red,  and  guessed  what  Charley's  advice  had  been. 
"Made  fun  of  you  —  didn't  he,  Eva?  Ought  to  have 
been  ashamed  of  himself — only  I  suppose  he  didn't 
know  how  much  in  earnest  you  are." 

"  No ;  I'm  sure  he  didn't  know,  or  he  wouldn't  have 
laughed  at  it,"  replied  Eva,  quickly,  with  a  feeling  of 
great  relief,  for  which  she  shot  a  look  of  gratitude  to 
Frank. 

"  Seems  to  me  you  are  both  at  a  dead  stand-still," 
said  Minnie.  "  What  is  the  result  '  of  these  later 
cogitations,  Noll?" 

"I  think  I  could  be  a  good  actress,"  said  Noll,  slowly 
and  decidedly. 

"Holy  horrors!"  muttered  Frank. 

Noll  colored,  and  dropped  her  head  again.  Frank 
repented  his  exclamation,  and  said,  heartily,  "  I  think 
you  could,  too,  Noll ;  but,  if  I  were  you,  I  wouldn't." 

"Why  not?" 

"  It  would  be  a  wicked  waste.  You  can  do  so  much 
better  —  so  much  more  good,  I  mean  —  by  turning 
your  abilities  in  some  other  direction." 

"Just  tell  me  in  what  direction." 


174  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION: 

"  Well,  in  society.  A  woman  of  your  character  and 
powers,  with  the  additional  circumstances  of  wealth 
and  position  in  which  you  'happen  to  be  placed,  must 
wield  an  immense  influence  over  other  women  with 
whom  she  is  associated.  Fashionable  women,  and 
those  in  the  higher  circles  of  society,  need  just  such 
elevating  and  enlarging  of  their  characters  as  you 
could  teach  them.  There  isn't  one  atom  that  is  pet 
ty  or  selfish  in  you."  Frank  spoke  so  earnestly  that 
Noll's  face  glowed  with  a  pleasure  which  forgot  to  blush 
at  his  last  assertion.  She  felt  that  he  spoke  the  truth. 
She  knew  she  could  influence  others.  Yet  she  was  not 
satisfied,  and  could  not  tell  why. 

"  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Dana,  "  Frank  has  brought  out 
some  very  broad  and  good  ideas ;  and  yet  it  seems  to 
me  they  do  not  quite  give  the  solution  to  Noll's  prob 
lem." 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  am  to  study  for  such  a  work," 
said  Noll. 

"No  doubt,"  Mrs.  Dana  continued,  "Noll  will  exer 
cise  great  influence  with  those  among  whom  she  may 
live  and  associate.  But  influence  comes  more  from 
what  one  is,  than  from  what  one  does.  All  that  Frank 
says  of  Noll  may  become  true,  —  I  think  it  probably 
will,  —  but  that  is,  after  all,  only  the  passive  and  un 
conscious  part  of  her  life.  She  wants  now  some  active 
-purpose  —  something  for  which  to  fit  herself,  and  which 


NOLL    AND    EVA.  175 

shall  become  a  positive  labor  towards  the  achievement 
of  an  object." 

"  So  you  see  I  don't  get  ahead  one  bit !  "  Noll  was 
getting  so  much  in  earnest  about  this  matter,  and  so 
discouraged  at  the  difficulty  of  finding  any  pursuit 
adapted  to  her,  that  her  voice  was  gaining  an  accent 
of  bitter  disappointment. 

"  I  shall  have  to  tell  you  my  plan,"  said  Minnie, 
cheerfully. 

"  O,  do,  if  you  have  one." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  not  suit  you.  I  thought  of  it  be 
cause  you  have  such  odd  ways  of  saying  things,  and 
of  going  to  the  bottom  of  matters  at  once." 

"  Should  think  I  had !  "  murmured  Noll. 

"  Seeing  through  people,  I  mean,  and  understanding 
them  better  than  I  could  ; "  and  Minnie  paused,  uncer 
tain  whether  to  finish  or  not. 

"  Go  on  ;  but  have  it  something  I  must  study  for  and 
work  for." 

"  Well,  you  would  need  to  keep  on  studying  out 
characters  of  people.  Eva  can  help  you  at  that,  I 
think.  And  you  must  read  —  read  a  great  deal  —  old 
standard  authors,  and  the  very  best  new  books  —  read 
and  study  them." 

"That's  fine!"  said  Noll.  "I've  always  done  that 
sort  of  work,  for  play.  What  else  ?  " 

"  I   don't   know  what  else ;   but   perhaps  you  will. 


176  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Then  some  time  when  you  are  quite  grown  up,  —  say 
twenty-five  or  thirty,  —  O,  you  must  practise  a  great 
deal." 

"  Practise  what  ?  " 

"Writing  out  your  thoughts.  And  then  write  a 
wonderful  book,  that  shall  do  a  great  deal  of  good  in 
the  world  —  go  everywhere,  and  be  translated  into  all 
the  languages  of  Europe  ! " 

"  O  !  "  cried  Eva,  who  had  followed  Minnie  up  to  the 
climax  of  her  proposition  with  the  utmost  eagerness, 
and  now  felt  quite  rewarded. 

Noll  was  silent  and  thoughtful.  "  Perhaps  I  could 
do  something  at  writing,"  she  said,  at  last.  "At  any 
rate,  it  is  better  than  anything  else  I  have  thought  of. 
And  it  would  not  hinder  me  from  carrying  out  Frank's 
suggestions,  too." 

"  What  had  you  thought  of?  You  have  only  men 
tioned  one  thing,"  said  Mrs.  Dana. 

"O,  I  thought  of  the  stage  and  the  pulpit.  I  should 
like  to  be  a  minister,  if  I  only  wasn't  a  girl." 

"  Stage  and  pulpit !  Quite  a  juxtaposition ! "  laughed 
Frank. 

"  And  then  I'd  like  to  be  a  hospital  nurse,  or  a  pro 
fessor  in  a  girls'  college,  only  I  don't  know  what  I 
should  want  to  be  professor  of." 

"Belles-lettres,  of  course,"  put  in  Minnie.  "That 
and  authorship  would  run  nicely  together." 


NOLL    AND   EVA.  177 

"  So  they  would !  I'll  remember  that,"  said  Noll. 
"  Among  you  all,  you  have  given  me  quite  a  start  on 
my  career,  and  I  shall  be  everlastingly  grateful  to  you. 
I  shall  certainly  turn  my  attention  to  belles-lettres, 
and  as  for  specialties  therein,  I  can  work  them  out  for 
myself,  and  decide  by  and  by,  as  Minnie  intends  to  do 
about  her  music.  I  want  to  hear  Evvy's  plans  talked 
out,  now." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  haven't  any,"  said  Eva,  gently.  Noll's 
prospects  looked  so  brilliant,  and  her  own  so  very  blank ! 

"  We'll  soon  find  you  have,"  said  Mrs.  Dana, 
kindly.  "  Tell  me  what  you  like  to  study  best  at 
school." 

"  I  like  Latin  best ;  but  I  couldn't  be  a  Latin  pro 
fessor  in  a  girls'  college." 

Mrs.  Dana  laughed  at  her  dismayed  little  face  as  she 
made  this  statement.  "  No  ;  professorships  are  not  in 
your  line.  You  do  not  care  much  for  your  music  ?  " 

"  Not  very  much." 

"  Drawing  and  painting  ?  " 

"  I've  not  done  much  at  them." 

"  Evvy  can  copy  pictures  very  nicely,"  Noll  sug 
gested. 

"  But  I  don't  enjoy  it.  I  should  not  like  to  do  it  for 
a  living." 

"What  had  you  thought  of  for  yourself?"  asked 
Mrs.  Dana. 

'  12 


178  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  I  can  sew  nicely.  I  used  to  earn  something  in  that 
way  at  Campfields ;  but  it  was  very  little." 

Frank  made  an  impatient  gesture,  and  Mrs.  Dana  re 
plied,  "  Manual  labor  is  always  necessary ;  but  it  seems 
to  me  only  fair  to  leave  that  kind  of  work,  as  it  is  the 
simplest,  to  those  who  have  had  no  advantages,  or  no 
abilities  for  doing  what  will  call  into  use,  not  only 
hands,  but  careful,  earnest  thought,  and  long,  often  ex 
pensive  culture.  Women  have  been  too  long  occupied 
with  only  the  manual  labor  of  the  world.  It  is  time 
they  remembered  that  the  work  of  their  brains  may  be 
made  as  valuable  as  the  brain-work  of  man." 

"  Perhaps,  if  I  attended  thoroughly  to  my  drawing 
and  painting,  music  and  the  languages,  I  might  be  able 
to  teach  them  to  beginners,  as  a  governess.  But  I 
can't  be  a  genius  at  anything." 

"  Very  few  of  us  can,"  replied  Mrs.  Dana.  "  But  you 
have  set  yourself  a  very  hard  task,  Eva  dear,  to  learn, 
thoroughly,  drawing,  painting,  music,  and  the  lan 
guages.  You  would  scatter  your  energies  too  much. 
Since  you  do  not  care  for  music  and  drawing,  and  do 
enjoy  your  Latin,  I  think  you  would  make  a  better  use 
of  your  time  to  give  your  special  attention  to  lan 
guages.  Very  likely  you  will  find  you  have  a  taste 
for  German  and  French,  as  well  as  Latin." 

"  I  should  like  that  better.  But  I  don't  see  what 
good  I  can  do  with  it." 


NOLL    AND    EVA.  179 

"  Never  mind  ;  you  will  see  in  time.  If  your  taste 
is  for  language,  follow  it,  and  trust  to  time  and  experi 
ence  to  show  you  how  to  turn  your  talent  to  good 
account." 

"  But  the  music  and  drawing  must  have  some  atten 
tion,  I  suppose.  Aunt  Matilda  is  very  particular  that 
we  do  not  slight  any  of  our  accomplishments." 

"Do  not  entirely  neglect  them,  of  course.  Only 
give  them  less  attention  that  you  do  your  languages." 

"I  shall  have  to  brush  up  on  French  and  German,  if 
you  are  to  become  a  great  linguist,"  said  Frank.  "  I've 
no  notion  of  letting  you  get  ahead  of  me  with  your 
wonderful  educational  plans." 

"There's  an  example  of  woman's  unconscious  influ 
ence,"  laughed  Mary  Dana.  "  I  had  no  idea,  when  I 
advised  Eva  to  what  seemed  her  best  course  of  study, 
that  I  was  inciting  my  brother  to  atone  for  his  past 
rernissness  in  the  study  of  modern  languages." 

Noll's  first  words,  when  she  woke  next  morning, 
were,  "  I'm  so  glad  it  is  settled  ! " 

"  Our  studies  ?  So  am  I,"  returned  Eva,  with  a  con 
tented  little  yawn. 

"  Are  you  perfectly  satisfied  with  yours  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  know  how  I  am  to  use  my  lan 
guages,  but — " 

"  O,  we  shall  find  that  out  by  the  time  we  want  to 
be  of  use.  I  think  mine  is  a  lovely  programme — just 
what  I  like  best  to  do  —  read  and  write!" 


180  EVA    ROBERTS'    EDUCATION. 

"  I  suppose  you  ought  to  read  with  a  sort  of  critic's 
eye  —  observing  the  style  of  the  authors,  and  seeing 
how  it  is  formed." 

"  Certainly ;  and  I  must  take  up  a  course  of  composi 
tion  and  rhetoric." 

At  the  breakfast  table  Mr.  Dana  appeared.  He  had 
just  come  into  the  city  on  the  night  boat.  Perhaps 
he  was  tired  ;  certainly  he  was  cross.  He  brought  a 
shadow  with  him.  The  girls  felt  that  Mary  Dana's 
sweet  face  had  lost  a  little  of  its  usual  sunshine.  Mr. 
Dana  found  the  coffee  weak,  and  the  steak  not  to  his 
liking.  He  inquired  for  his  horses,  and  showed  de 
cided  vexation  on  learning  that  one  of  them  had  been 
accidentally  lamed.  He  hoped  he  saw  the  young  la 
dies  well,  and  that  they  had  not  found  it  dull,  shut  up 
in  the  city  for  the  summer.  Then  he  apparently  for 
got  all  about  them,  and  devoted  himself  unreservedly 
to  his  breakfast.  There  was  a  saddened  look  on  Min 
nie's  happy  face;  Frank's  was  growing  black.  Noll 
felt  disgusted,  and  exerted  herself  bravely  to  counter 
act  a  downward  tendency  in  the  corners  of  her  mouth. 
Eva  commenced  a  pleasant  and  lively  conversation 
with  Mrs.  Dana,  which  the  others  finally  joined,  and 
which  was  carefully  kept  from  flagging  until  after  Mr. 
Dana  had  swallowed  his  coffee  and  steak,  and  left  the 
table  to  visit  the  stable  and  his  injured  horse. 

Much  as  the  girls  had  regretted  the  close  of  their 


NOLL   AND   EVA.  181 

visit,  they  could  not  help  feeling  that,  even  if  it  w.ere 
prolonged,  its  delight  must  end  with  the  return  of  Mr. 
Dana.  So  they  went  quietly  and  resignedly  about 
their  preparations  for  departure.  At  dinner  time  they 
met  Mr.  Meredith  at  his  own  table  again.  Afterwards 
they  followed  him  to  his  library,  which  he  was  very 
glad  to  have  once  more  invaded  by  the  life  and  bright 
ness  of  their  presence.  There  he  asked  them  many 
questions  of  their  visit,  and  how  they  had  employed 
themselves. 

They  told  of  Noll's  success  in  tattling,  of  their  various 
pleasure  parties  and  sight-seeings,  and  lastly  Noll  told 
him  of  their  educational  plan.  Mr.  Meredith  listened 
with  approving  face,  and  told  them  he  not  only  thought 
it  a  good  one,  but  he  was  more  pleased  than  he  could 
tell  them  to  see  his  girls  —  for  so  he  considered  them 
both  —  taking  an  earnest,  workful  view  of  life  and  its 
duties. 

Then  Noll  broached  the  further  project  of  leaving 
Madame  Vanrie's  school,  to  attend  the  one  where  Min 
nie  True  went.  She  extolled  the  advantages  of  a 
shorter  session,  greater  freedom  of  choice  in  branches 
pursued,  less  punctiliousness  about  etiquette  and  ac 
complishments,  and  more  attention  paid  to  solid 
studies.  Her  father  heard  her  arguments  and  rea 
sons  through,  and  then  promised  to  inquire  into  the 
advantages  of  this  new  school,  and  decide  when  he 


182  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

had  informed  himself  enough  to  make  up  his  mind. 
Then  the  girls  went  to  bed  in  their  own  familiar  room 
once  more.  But  Noll  declared  the  day  was  won ;  she 
was  sure  her  father  would  agree  with  her.  And  so,  in 
time,  it  proved. 


El   AND    SOPHY.  183 


CHAPTER   XII. 

EI   AND    SOPHY. 

THERE  was  a  great  deal  of  stir  and  bustle  in  the 
house  when  Mrs.  Meredith  and  her  daughters 
returned  from  the  Springs,  and  were  busy  unpacking 
and  settling  their  extensive  wardrobes  at'  home  again. 
M».  Meredith  astonished  the  whole  family  —  not  even 
excepting  Noll  and  Eva  —  by  announcing  at  dinner, 
one  day,  that  he  had  been  inquiring  into  the  manner 
of  conducting  schools,  and  he  had  concluded  that  it 
would  be  advisable  to  transfer  the  girls,  with  the  open 
ing  of  this  new  year,  from  Madame  Vanrie's  to  Mrs. 
Hoffman's  instruction. 

"What  fault  can  you  find  with  Madame  Yanrie? 
What  will  she  say  ?  "  expostulated  Mrs.  Meredith. 

"  I  find  no  fault.  The  explanation  should  simply  be, 
that  Mrs.  Hoffman's  school  seems  preferable." 

"But  Madame  Vanrie's  is  so  fashionable,  and  every 
way  comme  il  faut !  " 

Mr.  Meredith  looked  disgusted,  and  remained  silent. 


184  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION-. 

"And,  Mrs.  Hoffman  is   such  a  low  name!" 

Mr.  Meredith  finished  his  dinner,  and  retired  .to  his 
library. 

Sophy  broke  the  spell  his  grave  presence  had  en 
forced.  "  Noll  and  Eva  can  do  as  they  please,  but  / 
shan't  stir  a  step  to  the  new  school.  I  shall  be  eighteen 
next  spring,  and  you  always  said  we  needn't  go  to 
school  after  that." 

"  It  will  be  hard  for  you  to  change  for  just  these  six 
months,"  said  her  mother,  sympathizingly. 

"I  shan't  do  it!"  repeated  Sophy,  growing  more 
determined  with  her  mother's  connivance. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  it  ? "  said  Mrs.  Meredith, 
turning  to  Noll  and  Eva.  , 

"  I  don't  like  Madame  Vanrie's,  and  I  think  I  should 
like  to  change,"  replied  Noll,  gravely. 

"Neither  do  I  like  Madame  Vanrie,"  cried  Sophy, 
savagely ;  "  but  a  new  school  would  probably  be  worse, 
particxilarly  if  pa  has  selected  it  for  some  stringent  ex 
cellence." 

"Hush,  dear;  don't  speak  so!"  murmured  Mrs. 
Meredith.  "Eva,  of  course,  can  follow  her  own 
choice." 

"  I  shall  certainly  make  the  change,  if  uncle  approves 
it,"  said  Eva. 

"  Then  I  shall  stay  at  home  till  my  six  mouths  are 
up  —  " 


El   AND    SOPHY.  185 

"And  then  you'll  keep  on  staying  at  home,"  sug 
gested  Noll. 

"  What's  all  this  about  staying  at  home  ? "  asked 
Jack,  who  had  caught  the  last  two  remarks  as  he  en 
tered.  "  Sophy  never  had  any  such  domestic  tendency 
before ; "  and  he  prepared  his  soup,  and  began  to  eat  it 
with  the  eager  appetite  of  a  hungry  man. 

Mrs.  Meredith  explained  what  had  passed,  and  add 
ed,  "I  think  it  would  be  rather  hard  to  break  up  all 
Sophy's  school  connections  for  so  short  a  time." 

"Yes,  so  it  would.  Why  doesn't  she  keep  on  at 
Madame  Vanrie's,  and  let  the  other  girls  change,  if 
they  like?" 

"  Because  I  don't  choose  to  make  myself  the  target 
of  all  the  school's  questions,  about  why  the  other  girls 
left.  No  ;  I've  made  up  my  mind  not  to  go  to  school 
another  day." 

"  Then  I  don't  see  but  you  will  have  to  stop  at 
home,"  said  Jack,  shoving  aside  his  soup  plate,  and 
wiping  his  mustache. 

"  I  should  think,  ma,"  said  Ri,  "  you  would  like  to 
have  her  at  home,  after  I  am  gone.  Sophy  would  be 
so  much  company  for  you ! " 

"  A  daughter  can't  be  much  company  till  she  comes 
out.  I  am  so  much  occupied  myself  in  society ! "  said 
Mrs.  Meredith,  thoughtfully. 

"  Yes,  but  now,  ma,  dear,"  began  Sophy,  "  I  should 


186  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

be  so  happy,  if  you  .only  would  let  me  come  out 
this  winter!  Since  Ri  is  to  be  married  off,  there 
really  isn't  any  reason  why 'I  shouldn't.  Of  course 
I  wouldn't  think  of  such  a  thing,  if  Ri  wasn't  fairly 
off  your  hands.  But  I  am  as  near  eighteen  now  as  I 
shall  be  next  winter." 

"  I'll  think  about  it,"  said  Mrs.  Meredith,  rising. 
"Come,  Ri,  you  have  two  dresses  to  try  on  this 
evening." 

Noll  and  Eva  went  to  Mrs.  Hoffman's  school,  and 
there  renewed  with  pleasure  their  acquaintance  with 
Minnie  True.  In  their  spare  hours,  they  planned  and 
began  a  course  of  earnest  study  in  the  direction  they 
had  determined  upon.  Sophy  remained  at  home,  and 
made  herself  useful  by  assisting  Ri  upon  the  final  busi 
ness  of  her  trousseau.  Mr.  Donaldson  made  his  daily 
call,  and  Ri  received  him  with  her  usual  amiable  deco 
rum  ;  but  the  excellent  man  could  not  help  feeling  a 
shadow  of  disappointment  that  she  never  once  tripped 
into  exhibiting  any  hearty  affection  for  him.  Yet  she 
was  always  so  sweet  and  lovely,  he  could  not  believe 
that  she  did  not  feel  for  him  all  that  her  promise  of 
marriage  gave  him  reason  to  expect.  Thus  the  Sep 
tember  days  flew  swiftly  by,  and  Ri's  wedding  was 
close  at  hand. 

"Jack,"  said  Sophy,  coming  suddenly  upon  him  in 
the  hall,  as  he  was  entering  his  own  room,  "  you  and 
Eva  are  to  be  first  couple,  next  to  Ri,  you  know." 


KI   AND    SOPHY.  187 

"  No,  that  is  your  place.  Dick  Waters  is  with  you 
—  isn't  he?" 

"  I  don't  want  that  place,  but  you  needn't  say  I  said 
so.  You  are  the  oldest.  You  can  claim  it;  and  Hi 
prefers  you  should  have  it." 

"Does  she?  She  hasn't  said  anything  to  me 
about  it." 

"But  she  will  tell  you  so,  if  you  ask  her.  Dick 
wants  the  first  place,  and  I  am  determined  he  shall  not 
have  it,  and  so  is  Ri ;  and  I'm  sure  Ri  ought  to  have 
her  own  say." 

«  Of  course." 

"  Then  you  will  claim  the  first  place  on  your  own  re 
sponsibility,  and  cut  out  Dick — will  you?" 

"Yes,  if  that's  your  game,"  replied  Jack,  laughing. 
Then,  on  the  other  side  of  his  closed  door,  he  said  to 
himself,  "  Sophy  has  a  spite  against  Waters.  I  wonder 
what  there  really  was  about  an  elopement  with  him  ? 
I've  a  good  mind  to  try  and  find  out,  if  only  I  had  the 
time." 

Ri  was  not  a  bride  that  the  sun  shone  upon,  nor 
the  moon,  either.  Some  said  it  was  a  late  equi 
noctial  storm,  that  spent  its  accumulated  fury  on  the 
last  few  days  of  September.  At  any  rate,  there  was 
nearly  a  week  of  almost  ceaseless  rain  and  drizzle,  with 
cold,  searching  winds  from  the  north-east.  But  people 
in  well-lined  houses,  who  never  venture  out  save  in 


188  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

equally  well-lined  carriages,  think  little  of  the  acci 
dents  of  weather.  Sophy  did  gloomily  remark  that 
"it  was  a  horrid  bad  sign,"  but  she  was  hastily  silenced 
by  her  mother.  The  gay  bustle  of  preparation  pro 
ceeded,  and  Hi  was  whirled  along  with  it,  and  found 
never  a  moment  for  doubt  or  foreboding.  All  her 
wishes  were  gratified;  every  beautiful  thing  she  de 
sired  was  quickly  supplied;  till  to  Sophy  this  getting 
married  seemed  a  sort  of  talisman  to  open  the  doors 
of  fairy-land,  and  shower  its  gifts  about  her.  It  was  a 
grand  wedding,  quite  too  grand  for  little  Eva,  who 
stood  trembling  in  her  place  as  first  bridesmaid.  So 
phy  was  doubly  triumphant  in  foiling  Dick  Waters' 
scheme  for  standing  next  Ri,  and  in  looking  better 
than  ever  before  in  her  life. 

"  Ri  is  beautiful  as  a  picture ! "  she  said  to  Dick, 
with  real  sisterly  pride  and  delight,  when,  the  long 
hours  of  reception  over,  she  took  his  arm,  as  the  bridal 
party  passed  out  to  refreshment.  A  table  was  set  for 
them  in  a  small  breakfast-parlor,  opening  from  the 
dining-room.  The  guests  had  departed,  save  a  few 
flitting  forms,  disfigured  with  wraps,  that  haunted  the 
front  hall,  awaiting  belated  carriages.  The  house  wore 
the  forlorn  appearance  that  always  follows  in  the  foot 
steps  of  a  retreating  crowd :  littered  carpets,  disar 
ranged  furniture,  here  and  there  a  glove  or  lace  hand 
kerchief,  dropped  and  forgotten  by  its  owner.  But  the 


El   AND    SOPHY.  189 

little  breakfast-parlor  had  been  kept  comparatively 
fresh  in  appearance.  The  newly-laid  table  looked 
cheerful  and  inviting  to  the  weary  couples  who  had 
formed  the  statue-like  centre  of  all  this  moving 
pageant.  Their  faces  came  out  of  the  stereotyped 
phase  they  had  donned  for  the  evening,  and  bright 
ened  with  a  sense  of  relief,  as  they  found  themselves 
no  longer  "  the  observed  of  all  observers." 

"Yes,  Ri  is  beautiful,"  replied  Dick,  shortly,  to  So 
phy's  remark ;  then  added,  quoting  from  an  old  song, 

"  But,  — 

'  If  she  be  not  fair  to  me, 

What  care  I  how  fair  she  be  ? ' " 

"'The  ruling  passion  strong  in  death,'  I  see," replied 
Sophy,  as  she  sank  wearily  into  her  chair  at  the  table. 

"  What  passion  ? "  Dick's  black  eyes  flashed  in  her 
face. 

"Selfishness!"  she  coolly  replied,  adjusting  the 
flounces  of  her  feathery-white  robe. 

"  Will  you  have  oysters  ?  " 

"Yes;  thank  you." 

Noll  and  Mortimer  had  both  accepted  with  satisfac 
tion  their  position  in  the  background.  Noll  did  not 
show  her  usual  ready  communicativeness.  Mortimer 
would  have  liked  to  draw  her  into  conversation  ;  but 
having  supplied  her  plate  according  to  her  desire,  re 
marked  upon  the  beauty  of  the  bride,  and  regretted 


190  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

the  unfavorable  weather,  he  found  himself  quite  nt  a 
loss  what  he  should  say  next,  with  a  dim  feeling  that 
perhaps  silence  would  be  the  most  agreeable  thing  he 
could  offer.  lie  knew  she  could  talk,  but  inferred  from 
her  brief  replies  that  just  at  present  she  would  not. 

"  Aren't  you  dreadfully  tired,  Evvy,  dear  ? "  she 
leaned  across  him  to  ask  of  Eva,  who  sat  between 
him  and  Jack,  and  had  an  unusual  flush  upon  her  little 
face. 

"  Yes,  rather."  Eva  smiled  faintly,  and  down  went 
the  glass  of  water  she  was  about  to  raise  to  her  lips. 
Jack  caught  it  in  time  to  save  the  contents  from  being 
dashed  into  her  neck  and  bosom. 

"  What  is  it,  little  girl?"  he  whispered, bending  over 
her  kindly. 

"  I  don't  know.  I'm  tired.  I  guess  that's  all,"  and 
she  leaned  an  elbow  heavily  on  the  table. 

"  Do  you  want  to  go  up  stairs  ?  " 

"  No ;  not  yet.     It  isn't  time." 

"  No  matter  for  that." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go." 

Noll  was  listening  and  holding  her  breath. 

"  She  is  a  brave  little  girl,"  said  Mortimer  to  Noll,  in 
a  low  voice. 

"  Let's  hurry  up  and  get  through  supper,  so  she  can 
go  to  bed,"  was  the  brusque  rejoinder.  "I  know  she  is 
tired  almost  to  death;  "  and  Noll  suited  the  action  to 


El   AND    SOPHY.  191 

the  word  by  applying  herself  to  her  heaped  plate 
•with  such  unction  and  address  that  its  contents  rap 
idly  disappeared. 

It  required  all  Mortimer  Salsby's  good  breeding  to 
suppress  a  smile  at  the  odd  suggestion  and  its  abrupt 
carrying  out.  When  Noll  ejaculated  between  her 
hasty  mouthfuls  of  cake,  "  Evvy  is  a  little  angel !  You 
don't  begin  to  know  her,  first  time  seeing  her ! "  he  fell 
gradually  into  her  enthusiastic  spirit  enough  to  expe 
dite  slightly  his  own  fastidious  manner  of  feasting. 
But  Hi,  who  sat  smiling  between  Mr.  Donalson  and 
Sophy,  did  not  notice  the  weary  little  face  opposite. 
Sophy  was  eagerly  detailing  to  her  the  various  cos 
tumes  of  the  guests  present,  with  an  accuracy  that 
seemed  to  have  made  special  note  of  each  one.  It  was 
still  a  long  time  before  they  rose  from  their  repast. 
Jack  detained  Eva  till  they  had  all  passed  through  the 
hall  and  stood  in  the  great  empty  drawing-room  again. 
Then  he  took  her  gently  up,  like  a  tired  child,  in  his 
arms,  and  carried  her  to  her  own  room. 

"  You  are  just  as  good  to  me  as  Charley  could  be," 
Eva  said,  with  a  sad  little  effort  at  laughter,  that  died 
into  tears  before  it  was  quite  born. 

"  There,  don't  move.  I'm  a  doctor,  you  know,"  he 
said,  as  he  placed  her  upon  her  bed.  lie  brought  a 
towel  from  the  rack,  and  a  bottle  of  cologne  from  the 
toilet,  and  bathed  her  aching  head  and  hot  face  as  gen- 


192  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

tly  as  a  mother.  And  Eva  just  lay  and  cried  because 
she  couldn't  help  it,  and  didn't  know  why. 

"Have  you  got  those  slippers  done  that  you  were 
making  for  me  to  take  out  to  Charley  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes.  That  is,  they  were  to  be  done  last  week ;  but 
we've  been  so  busy  I  have  not  been  to  the  shoemaker's 
for  them  yet." 

"  I'm  glad  they  are  ready.  Do  you  know  when  I 
am  going  ?  " 

"This  fall,  you  said." 

"  I  have  been  waiting  for  the  wedding.  I  shall  start 
to-morrow  night." 

Eva  opened  wide  her  blue  eyes,  forgetting  her  tears. 
"  O,  Jack,  I  shall  be  so  sorry  to  have  you  go ! " 

"  Will  you  ?  "  said  Jack,  with  a  little  laugh.  "  I  didn't 
expect  that  of  any  one  but  Noll." 

"Does  Noll  know  you  are  going  so  soon?" 

"  Not  yet.  I  thought  she  had  better  lose  us  one  at 
a  time." 

"  We  shall  miss  you  dreadfully  —  more  than  lii, 
even." 

"  Well,  I  am  going  straight  to  Charley ;  so  what 
shall  I  take  him  from  you?"  and  Jack  called  his  eyes 
back  from  a  sorrowful  stare  at  the  opposite  wall,  and 
played  with  the  perfumed  towel  in  his  hands. 

"Tell  him  —  O,  I've  nothing  much  to  tell  him!  I 
write  him  everything.  Only  I  wish  I  had  him  here  to 


El   AND    SOPHY.  193 

give  him  one  good  hug!     Tell  him  five  years  are  an 
awfully  long  time ! " 

"Yes,"  said  Jack,  absently. 

"  No ;  O,  no !  I  forgot.  You  musn't  tell  him  that, 
either." 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  uncle  Martyn  is  so  good  to  me,  and  I 
promised  him  I  would  be  just  as  happy  as  a 
bird  here.  It  would  grieve  Charley  if  he  thought 
I  was  not." 

"  But  you  are  not.  And  I  am  not  to  tell  him  that  you 
are  as  much  out  of  place  in  this  house  as  a  lamb  in  a 
lock-up ;  that  you  are  as  much  at  a  loss  what  to  make 
of  your  aunt  and  cousins,  as  if  they  had  been  born  in 
India,  and  spoke  Hindostanee ;  that  you  will  manage 
to  make  something  out  of  Noll,  but  all  the  rest  of  us 
were  past  help  when  you  came ;  and  that  finally  you 
will  come  out  of  your  experience  here, '  a  sadder  and  a 
wiser  woman.'" 

"Don't  talk  so,  Jack." 

"Isn't  it  all  true?" 

"  Some  of  it  sounded  a  little  so ;  but  you  said  it  bit 
terly,  dear  Jack,  and  that's  not  right.  I  know  I  4°n't 
understand  you  all  as  well  as  I  ought,  but  that  is  as 
much  in  me  as  in  you.  It  is  only  that  we  are  differ 
ent.  One  can't  expect  to  understand  everything  and 
everybody,  you  know." 
13 


194  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

"  But  seems  to  me  I  understand  yon,  Eva.  Seems  to 
me  I  can  understand  how  terribly  hollow  and  heartless 
everything  here  must  seem  to  you,  and  what  would  be 
your  way  of  living  if  you  were  in  your  own  home." 

"  Very  likely  you  can.  It  would  not  be  anything 
very  hard  to  understand,  I  think." 

"I  am  going  to  see  if  your  brother  Charley  is  like 
you.  I  don't  ever  mean  to  come  back  to  the  east.  I 
hope  I  shall  find  some  one  out  there,  like  you,  who 
will  help  me  make  a  home,  something  after  your 
fashion." 

"  I  hope  you  will,  too,  dear  Jack." 

"  You'll  come  and  see  me  —  won't  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed  I  will." 

"  Have  the  slippers  ready  to-morrow." 

"I'll  get  them  on  my  way  to  school." 

"  Good  night.  I'll  send  Noll  up  to  put  you  to 
bed." 

Ri  slipped  in  to  bid  Eva  good  by,  as  she  came  up  to 
exchange  her  bridal  robes  for  a  travelling  suit.  Then 
she  was  driven  away  to  Mr.  Donaldson's  elegant 
rooms.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meredith  met^  her  for  a  final 
parting  on  board  the  steamer  next  day.  Jack  said  a 
few  careless  farewells  at  dinner.  Eva  had  sealed  up 
in  the  slippers  a  note  to  Charley,  with  latest  accounts 
of  Jack's  hopes  and  intentions,  asking  for  special  kind 
ness  and  love  to  be  shown  him,  as  he  had  shown  such 


El    AND    SOPHY.  195 

to  her.  And  Jack  found  a  welcome  in  that  western 
home  warmer  than  he  had  ever  met  in  his  own. 

The  house  was  scarcely  straightened  after  Ri's  de 
parture,  when  there  occurred  what  Noll  styled  "an 
other  disastrous  invasion  of  the  elite  ;  "  for  Sophy  was 
to  take  Ri's  place  in  society.  But  Noll  and  Eva  had 
seen  once  the  wonderful  preparations  for  "  coming 
out ; "  and  partly  for  this  reason,  partly  because  they 
were  now  more  interested  than  formerly  in  affairs  of 
their  own  at  school  and  at  home,  they  took  little  notice 
of  the  dressy  miracles  that  filled  Sophy's  heart  with 
vain  delight. 

October  was  the  lull,  after  the  wedding  preparations 
and  expectations  had  culminated  and  come  to  an  end. 
November  saw  Sophy  launched  upon  the  sea  of  socie 
ty,  for  which  she  had  so  long  felt  the  fascination  and 
longing  of  a  sailor  boy  for  a  less  fickle  sea  —  the  broad 
blue  ocean  itself.  She  became  as  completely  Mrs. 
Meredith's  companion  in  all  things  as  Ri  had  been 
for  the  past  year.  Noll  and  Eva  were  left  very 
much  to  themselves.  Sophy  had  been  a  connecting 
link,  uniting  the  interests  of  school  and  Mrs.  Meredith's 
social  world.  Now  she  left  all  school  affairs  out  of  her 
life,  and  lost  all  interest  in  Noll's  and  Eva's  pursuits. 
Their  new  school,  in  which  all  their  associates  were 
strangers  to  her,  added  to  this  indifference.  But  the 


196       EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

two  younger  girls  only  settled  the  firmer  into  their 
chosen  studies.  The  whirl,  excitement,  and  unsatis- 
factoriness  of  Sophy's  life  they  only  guessed  from  afar. 
It  did  not  reach  or  affect  their  little,  earnest,  studious, 
happy  world. 


RESUME.  197 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

RESUME. 

THE  next  three  years  of  Eva's  education  passed 
quietly  by,  with  nothing  to  mark  with  special 
interest  any  single  day.  But  each  and  every  one 
brought  its  own  earnest  work,  and  its  own  pleasures, 
in  ever-increasing  ratio.  Noll  found  all  the  diversity 
she  required  in  following  out  her  own  choice  of  study. 
Mrs.  Hoffman  had  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
course  the  girls  wished  to  pursue,  and  entered  heartily 
into  it,  directing,  encouraging,  and  instructing.  Eva 
and  Noll  came  to  be  more  than  ever  friends  and  com 
panions.  At  last  Eva  ceased  to  feel  the  thin  wall  of 
strangerhood  that  had  for  so  long  seemed  to  surround 
her  heart  and  keep  it  forever  lonely.  All  unlikeness 
was  forgotten  in  the  interest  of  their  sirnilal-  yet  dis 
tinct  studies  ;  the  old  homesick  feeling  was  gone  ;  and 
Eva  was  heartily  happy  and  contented  in  uncle  Mere 
dith's  home,  with  Noll  for  her  constant  companion  and 
sister. 


198  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Hi  did  not  return  to  New  York  at  the  end  of  the 
first  year  of  her  married  life.  Mr.  Donaldson  was  not 
well,  and  did  not  like  to  leave  his  Highland  home  to 
spend  the  winter  in  another  country.  So,  as  soon 
as  spring  opened,  Mrs.  Meredith  and  Sophy  sailed 
for  Scotland,  to  visit  Ri.  They  were  scarcely  missed 
by  Noll  and  Eva.  Minnie  True  and  several  other 
sensible  and  pleasant  girls,  whom  they  came  to  know 
in  their  new  school,  formed  a  different  and  far  more  de 
lightful  circle  of  acquaintances.  Often  they  spent  their 
evenings  in  the  library  with  Mr.  Meredith,  who  always 
welcomed  them  and  enjoyed  their  chat.  If  he  had 
writing  or  reading  that  must  be  done,  the  girls  took 
their  books  or  work,  and  refrained  from  disturbing  him  ; 
but  in  order  to  do  this,  utter  silence  was  not  enjoined. 
Mrs.  Meredith  spent  some  months  in  European  travel. 
Her  return  gave  the  quiet  life  of  the  girls  one  of  those 
pleasant  days  of  change  and  excitement  that  act  as 
freshener  upon  many  that  both  precede  and  follow. 
Mrs.  Meredith  had  found  Ri  homesick  and  discontented, 
but  she  brightened  with  the  visit  and  the  trip  through 
Europe,  on  which  she  accompanied  them,  and  at  last 
remained  in  her  old  Scotch  home,  to  gratify  her  doting 
husband,  instead  of  returning  to  New  York  for  the 
winter,  as  her  mother  rather  urged  she  should.  Jack 
still  tarried  in  the  west,  and  gave  good  accounts  of-  a 
flourishing  practice  he  was  securing  in  Chicago.  He 


RESUME.  199 

wrote  occasional  generalizing  sort  of  letters  to  his 
parents.  To  Noll  he  wrote  regularly,  and,  as  he  de 
clared,  whether  he  had  anything  to  say  or  not.  Jack 
and  Charley  were  much  together,  and  their  letters  were 
equally  interesting  to  both  girls.  So  it  canie  to  be  a 
fashion  for  each  to  read  the  other's  letters.  It  was 
another  bond  of  sympathy  and  union  between  them. 

"  Letter  from  Jack,"  said  Noll,  returning  from  the 
letter-box,  whither  she  had  hastened  on  hearing  the 


Eva  looked  up  with  a  smile  of  interest ;  then  re 
turned  to  the  volume  of  Schiller  she  was  reading,  to 
wait  patiently  for  her  turn  at  the  letter.  Noll  was  a 
long  time  reading  it.  There  was  only  one  sheet.  Jack 
did  not  write  such  long  letters  as  Charley.  At  last 
Noll  handed  it  to  Eva,  and  said,  with  serious  face, 
"  There's  real  news  in  this."  Eva,  too,  read  it  through 
in  silence.  On  the  first  page  he  blurted  forth,  man- 
fashion,  his  news;  and  then,  without  further  words 
upon  the  important  item,  he  went  rambling  away  about 
minor  matters  of  small  interest  after  his  first  announce 
ment. 

"  Now,  Evvy,  tell  me  about  Phccbe,"  said  Noll,  when 
Eva  laid  aside  the  letter  and  looked  up.  "  You've  only 
mentioned  her  once  or  twice.  Jack  has  been  very 
mum  about  her  heretofore,  —  I  might  have  guessed 
something  from  his  very  silence, — and  Charley  only 


200  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

I 

occasionally  alludes   to  her.      Now  I  must   know  all 
about  her." 

"  The  most  I  know  of  her  is  what  I  saw  when  she 
was  east  with  uncle  Martyn,  just  before  I  came  here. 
She  is  three  years  older  than  I." 

"  Twenty.  And  Jack  is  twenty-five.  That  will  do 
very  well ; "  and  Noll  nodded  approval  so  far. 

"  She  is  sensible  —  as  sensible  as  you  are." 

«  Pshaw ! " 

,   "And  practical  and  —  helpful.     She  seemed  tome 
one  of  the  thoroughly  helpful  kind  of  people." 

"  They  are  the  best  kind." 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  like  Phcebe.  And  I  think  — 
I  truly  think,"  Eva  added,  slowly  and  sagely,  "she  is 
good  enough  for  your  Jack  ;  and  that  is  saying  a  great 

» 

deal,  you  know." 

"  I  suppose  I  must  take  your  word  for  it,"  returned 
Noll.  "  Jack  used  to  have  such  a  way  of  taking  it  for 
granted  that  women  were,  by  nature,  irredeemably 
foolish,  that  I  always  hoped  I  should  be  able  to  have  a 
little  care  over  him  about  choosing  his  wife.  I  believe 
there  are  a  few  —  a  very  few  —  sensible  women.  Pity 
there  aren't  more." 

"  There'll  be  one  more  when  you  get  along  to  wo 
man's  estate." 

"  And  I  wanted  Jack  should  be  sure  to  get  one  of 
them.  Because  I  think  he  deserves  to." 


RESUME.  201 

"  So  he  does.  But,  Noll,  I  think  Jack  would  have 
died  an  old  bachelor,  before  he  could  have  married  one 
of  the  foolish  kind  of  women  ;  notwithstanding  he  was 
always  so  good-natured  and  amiable  to  them." 

"  I  know  it  was  his  way  to  be  considerate  —  charita 
ble  to  hysterics  and  all  sorts  of  vagaries  and  weaknesses. 
And  it  is  a  very  good  trait  in  a  doctor." 

"  So  I  thought  when  he  took  care  of  me  after  Ri's 
wedding." 

"  Have  you  finished  translating  that  poem  ?" 

"  Not  quite.     When  it  is  done  I  will  read  it  to  you." 

"It's  fine  to  have  somebody  to 'coach'  me,  as  col 
lege  boys  say,  on  German  literature.  I  should  have 
precious  little  time  for  English  authors,  if  I  had  to  dig 
out  all  the  best  foreign  ones  myself." 

"And  it's  fine  for  me  to  read  over  my  translations  to 
some  one  who  has  an  ear  for  the  rhetoric  and  composi 
tion  of  them,"  replied  Eva;  and  the  girls  returned  to 
their  books. 

Eva  was  shocked  at  her  aunt  Matilda's  eager  inqui 
ries  concerning  Mr.  Martyn's  wealth,  the  number  of  his 
children,  &c.,  while  her  single  question  concerning 
Phoebe  herself  was  the  rather  minor  one  of  her  beauty. 
But  Noll  only  said,  philosophically,  "  That's  ma's  way, 
you  know.  She  can't  be  expected  to  ask  about  what 
she  doesfi't  know  or  care  anything  about.  I  believe  if 
pa  had  been  a  dragon,  and  had  had  more  money  than 


202  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

any  of  her  other  suitors,  she  would  have  married  him 
all  the  same,  and  been  just  as  well  satisfied  as  she  is 
now." 

"How  can  you  speak  so,  Xoll?" 

"  Because  it's  true,  dear." 

"  But  your  own  mother ! " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  Noll,  with  a  comical 
face,  and  her  head  turned  quizzically  on  one  side.  "Jack 
and  I  are  father's  children.  Ri  and  Sophy  are  ma's. 
Somehow  they  never  shared  us  equally,  but  just  divided 
up  the  family  in  that  way.  It's  lucky  there  happened 
to  be  an  even  number  of  us.  I  should  pity  the  odd 
one." 

Eva  could  not  help  laughing ;  and  yet  these  half 
comic,  half  bitter  sayings^of  Noll  always  grieved  her. 

"  Waters  !"  and  old  Mr.  Cobden's  round  pink  head, 
with  its  fringe  of  grayish-white  hair,  was  popped  from 
his  little  sanctum  into  the  busy  counting-room.  The 
young  man  quickly  answered  the  summons,  and  drew 
a  chair  to  the  table,  opposite  his  uncle. 

"  Dick,  my  boy,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  pleasantly, 
"  I  want  to  have  a  little  talk  with  you  about  some 
matters  that  pertain  to  business,  and  —  some  that  don't, 
exactly." 

"Yes,  sir."  Dick  bowed  and  leaned  his  elbow  com 
fortably  upon  the  table,  while  he  looked  steadily  and 
unwinkingly  into  his  uncle's  face. 


KESUME.  203 

Mr.  Cobden  fidgeted  in  his  chair,  and  began  in  ar 
gumentative  manner.  "  Since  Bragg's  very  sad  and 
untimely  end  —  a  melancholy  affair,  that  —  I've  pen 
sioned  his  widow.  Did  I  tell  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  glad  you  have,  sir.  Mr.  Bragg  was  shrewd  in 
business ;  and,  if  only  he  had  not  forgotten  the  proper 
respect  to  be  paid  to  the  meum  and  tuum  of  transac 
tions,  he  would  have  been  invaluable.  It  will  be  diffi 
cult  to  make  good  his  place  in  the  firm." 

"  I  can't  fill  it.  I  can't  undertake  his  work.  I  am 
getting  too  old  —  too  —  well,  I  don't  want  to  drive 
myself,  now  that  there  is  no  need  of  it." 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  But,  as  you  say,  it  would  be  difficult  and  undesira 
ble  —  I  should  say  every  way  undesirable  —  to  attempt 
to  take  in  another  partner  in  his  place.  He  would 
probably  be  a  stranger  —  perhaps  unacquainted  with 
the  business  —  certainly  unacquainted  with  our  busi 
ness.  I  don't  like  itr 

Mr.  Cobden  was  silent;  and  Dick,  perceiving  the 
drift  of  his  talk,  gave  him  a  gentle  jog.  "  Of  course 
you  do  not  think  of  entering  more  into  the  business 
yourself." 

"  No  ;  but  I  was  thinking  of —  that  is,  it  had  oc 
curred  to  me  to  draft  young  Saunders  into  the  firm. 
His  place  could  easily  be  supplied.  In  that  case  you 
would  be  at  liberty  to  attend  to  Bragg's  share  of  the 


204  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

business ;  young  Saunders,  of  course,  to  take  your 
present  position,  as  junior  partner.  How  does  that 
look  to  you  ?  "  and  Mr.  Cobden  leaned  back  in  his  arm 
chair,  and  regarded  Dick  complacently  over  the  tips  of 
his  fingers. 

"  Very  good.  Saunders  is  the  best  man  in  the  em- 
ploy." 

"  You  agree  ? " 

"  Yes,  certainly.  It  secures  Saunders,  and  gives  me 
a  much  better  position." 

"  That's  what  I  wish  to  do.  In  a  few  years  the 
whole  concern  must  devolve  upon  you.  I  want  to  give 
you  a  clear  knowledge  of  every  part  of  its  manage 
ment.  You  have  shown  good  judgment,  good  business 
abilities,  and  have  been  every  way  a  reliable  man. 
Now  I  want  to  see  you  under  full  sail  in  life,  before  I 
leave  you."  The  old  man  thoughtfully  tapped  on  the 
table  with  his  gold  bowed  eye-glass,  and  gazed  out 
the  cramped  window  upon  a  cheerful  brick  wall, 
opposite. 

It  was  all  true.  "Whatever  he  might  be  in  some  re 
spects,  Dick  Waters  was  a  reliable  business  man.  His 
good  uncle's  confidence  had  never  been  slighted  or 
dishonored.  In  old  Mr.  Cobden's  eyes  he  was  a  most 
worthy  and  estimable  young  man. 

"  I  want  you  to  get  married,  Dick,  my  boy,"  the  old 
man  recommenced  rather  abruptly.  "  I  know  you  are 


KESUME.  205 

not  very  old  yet ;  but  young  marriages  are  usually  the 
happiest,  and  you  are  twenty-four  —  isn't  it?" 

"  Not  quite,"  returned  Dick,  with  an  uncomfortable 
movement  in  his  chair.  "  Whom  do  you  wish  me  to 
marry?" 

"  I  didn't  intend  to  settle  that  question  for  you.  Of 
coiirse  you  have  your  preferences  already  among  the 
young  ladies  you  meet.  I  could  name  some  of  them,  but 
I  would  rather  —  I  would  decidedly  prefer  you  should 
choose  for  yourself — choose  for  yourself,  my  boy." 

Dick  made  good  use  of  the  plenteous  time  allowed 
him  by  the  old  gentleman's  moderate  speech.  He  had 
no  objections  to  being  married,  if  it  helped  him  on  in 
the  world.  He  was  ambitious.  He  knew  his  uncle 
would  have  no  wish  to  see  him  begin  life  in  any  hum 
bler  style  than  the  old  man  himself  would  leave  it. 
He  would  like  to  be  the  owner  of  an  elegant  house, 
and  maintain  a  correspondingly  elegant  establishment 
throughout.  He  knew  that  he  was  to  be  chief  heir  to 
all  his  uncle's  wealth.  It  only  remained  to  choose  his 
wife.  Was  it  strange  that  among  the  many  prettier 
and  lovelier  girls  of  his  acquaintance  his  first  thought 
should  be  of  Sophy  Meredith  ?  He  felt  quite  sure  that 
he  could  bring  to  bear  upon  her  such  reasoning  as 
would  secure  him  from  failure  in  his  suit;  and  perhaps 
this  was  the  secret  of  his  selection.  He  had  met  her 
often  and  everywhere  in  the  past  t'hree  winters.  She 


206  EVA  KOBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

had  not  avoided  him,  but  had  improved  every  opportu 
nity  to  express  her  dislike  for  him.  Perhaps  it  was 
only  a  touch  of  contrariness  that  made  him  instantly 
imagine  what  fun  it  would  be  to  marry  Sophy  Mere 
dith  in  spite  of  herself.  "  I  wasn't  ready  to  marry 
her,"  he  thought,  "when  she  wanted  to  elope  with  me. 
Now  I  am  ready,  and  she  shall  be;"  and  his  black  eyes 
had  a  merry  sparkle,  as  he  further  remembered  that 
the  connection  must  appear  every  way  desirable  to  the 
elders  of  both  parties. 

"  I  have  very  little  hope  of  success,"  he  said,  modest 
ly,  "  if  I  were  to  follow  out  my  own  preference." 

"How  so?  how  so  ?"  cried  Mr.  Cobden,  eagerly. 

"  I  think  Sophy  Meredith  does  not  exactly  favor  me," 
he  said,  hesitatingly. 

Ah !  if  the  old  gentleman  had  seen  the  wicked  snap 
in  Dick  Waters'  sharp  eyes  as  he  made  this  confession  ! 

"  Sophy  Meredith,  is  it?  Ah,  ha!  Well,  at  least 
she  hasn't  favored  any  other  young  man,  I  believe." 

"  No." 

"  Ah,  well !  I'll  just  open  the  way  for  you  a  bit,  by 
hinting  the  matter  to  her  father.  He  is  a  fine  man, 
Mr.  Meredith  ;  it  is  a  fine  family  all  through.  This 
daughter  isn't  quite  so  handsome  as  the  other  one  was, 
but  I  suppose  she  is  all  the  better,  on  acquaintance,  eh, 
Dick  !  "  and  the  old  gentleman  reached  for  his  walking- 
stick  to  punch  Dick  in  the  leg,  by  way  of  a  little  pleas 
ant  raillery. 


RESUM£.  207 

"  "Wouldn't  it  be  better  for  me  to  call  upon  Mr. 
Meredith  ? "  said  Dick,  drawing  himself  away  from 
the  jocose  walking-stick,  and  wearing  an  unusually 
sober  face.  lie  realized  that  he  was  "  in  for  it,"  now. 

"  Certainly,  certainly.  I  shall  only  give  him  a 
friendly  call,  and  let  him  know,  by  the  way,  that  you 
are  coming.  No  harm  in  that,  I  suppose." 

"  Not  the  least,"  gravely  replied  Dick.  H.e  enter 
tained  a  very  wholesome  respect  for  Mr.  Meredith,  and 
rather  dreaded  to  walk  in  and  ask  him  for  his  daughter. 
So  his  uncle's  proffer  was  very  welcome. 

All  this  had  happened  at  the  close  of  Sophy's  third 
winter  in  society.  To  tell  the  unvarnished  truth, 
Sophy's  appearance  had  been  much  less  of  a  success 
than  Ri's.  Her  face  had  no  beauty  to  hold  admirers 
•by  the  eyelids,  though  she  looked  well  when  hand 
somely  dressed  and  animated  with  the  excitement  of  the 
evening.  She  had  none  of  Ri's  sweetness  to  delight 

O  O 

those  who  always  applaud  "good  temper  in  a  woman." 
But  she  had  what' Hi  never  did  have,  a  ready  tongue, 
that  was  quick  at  repartee,  and  sometimes  also  sharp. 
For  this  reason  she  was  shunned  by  many  who  feared 
the  weapon.  But  it  had  been  no  terror  to  Dick 
Waters.  He  enjoyed  calling  out  this  gift,  and  hearing 
Sophy  wield  it ;  but  he  took  care  to  warn  her,  by  a 
few  sharp  hits  in  her  own  kind  of  warfare,  that  it  was 
not  wise  for  her  to  assail  him.  Thus  Sophy  had  passed 


208  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

through  three  seasons  without  having  a  single  offer,  or 
even,  to  her  own  knowledge,  a  single  lover.  Her 
failure  to  win  the  admiration  she  craved  had  made 
these  years  one  long  series  of  disappointments,  and  her 
temper  had  not  improved  under  the  ordeal.  There 
was  a  .chaotic  conflict  of  surprise,  delight,  wonder,  and 
dread,  in  Sophy's  heart,  when  her  mother  told  her  that 
her  father  had  received  proposals  for  her  hand,  and  had 
given  his  consent  that  the  young  man  should  address 
her.  She  only  sat  silent,  and  tried  to  look  indifferent. 

"  Haven't  you  the  slightest  interest  in  the  matter  ?  " 
asked  her  mother,  with  some  pique  at  her  reception  of 
what  she  considered  a  very  happy  event. 

"  It  certainly  isn't  Mr.  Salsby.  I  know  he  doesn't 
care  anything  about  me.  So  what  is  there  to  be  inter 
ested  in  ?  " 

"  Pshaw  !  Mr.  Salsby  isn't  the  only  young  man  in 
the  world.  I  think  this  match  fully  as  desirable  as 
Ri's  was." 

"  That  might  easily  be.  But  after  Ri  gave  up  Mor 
timer  Salsby,  I  just  set  my  heart  on  getting  him.  He 
is  the  very  best  match  there  is  to  be  made ;  and  it's 
a  pity  if  we  can't  have  him  in  the  family,  between 
us  all." 

"  There's  !S~oll  to  come  yet." 

"  A  pretty  piece  she'll  be  in  society !  A  regular  book 
worm,  with  leanings  toward  strong-mindedness!  No, 


EESUM£.  209 

• 

the  game  is  over  if  I  give  it  up.     I  don't  envy  you 
your  next  attempt  at  bringing  out  a  daughter!" 

Mrs/  Meredith  had  a  vague  feeling  that  perhaps  Noll 
could  make  herself  more  agreeable  than  Sophy  ever 
did.  But  she  refrained  from  saying  so. 

"  Well,  who  is  this  young  suitor  ?  "  Sophy  asked  at 
length. 

"  O,  you  want  to  know,  after  all !  It  is  young  Mr. 
Waters  —  a  very  likely  young  man,  too." 

«  Dick  Waters  ! " 

"  I  wouldn't  call  him  Dick,  it  is  such  a  low,  rough 
name ! " 

Sophy's  head  drooped  over  her  embroidery.  "  Richie 
Waters"  was  the  name  that  came  into  her  mind  as  a 
substitute,  and  recalled  the  last  time  she  had  ever  used 
it,  on  the  night  of  the  projected  elopement.  A  blush 
of  real  shame  came  over  her  cheeks  and  forehead ;  but 
there  was  a  brightness  in  her  eyes  that  had  not  been 
there  before. 

"  What  makes  you  so  much  surprised  at  it  ?  "  asked 
her  mother.  "  I  thought  of  him  as  soon  as  your  father 
began  to  tell  me.  He  has  been  your  most  devoted 
attendant  ever  since  you  came  out.  I  used  to  think 
he  wanted  Ri,  though." 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  him,"  said  Sophy,  quietly  rising 
and  laying  down  .her  work;  "  and  now  that  I  do  think 
of  him,  I  don't  like  him,  and  shall  not  marry  him." 
14 


210  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Then  she  beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  Tier  mother's  expos 
tulation   and    advice  to  her  own    room.      There  she 
could  and  did  have  a  good  cry.     Then  she  bathed  her 
face,  and  smiled    to  herself  in  the  glass,  as  she  re 
arranged  her  hair.    It  was  a  proud  thing  to  Sophy,  that 
Dick  had  asked  for  her.     She  felt  it  a  triumph  to  refuse 
him.     But  under  all  this  she  was  wondering  if  he  had 
really  come  to  love  her.     For  Sophy,  with  all  her  spite 
ful  protestations,  with  all  her  ostentatious  dislike,  did, 
*n  the  lowest  depths  of  her  heart,  care  for  Diok  Wa 
ters.     She  always  had  cared  for  him.     She  admired  his 
sharp,  keen  face,  even  while  she  hated  herself  for  doing 
so.     She  gloried  in  his  smartness  and  his  business  ad 
vantages.     She  respected  him  because  she  feared  him, 
and   could  not  frighten  him  with   any  of  her  sharp 
words  or  ways.     Xow  was  her  time  to  be  revenged  by 
refusing  to  marry  him.     It  was  very  provoking  that  he 
was  called  from  the  city,  by  business  in  the  west,  that 
kept  him  absent  six  weeks,  just  at  this  interesting  junc 
ture.     The  weeks  came  round  at  last.     But  six  weeks 
of  steady  drain   upon   Sophy's  patience,  fortitude,  and 
>s'>ite  were  anything  but  strengthing  to  these  feelings. 
On  Dick's  return  he  called  at  once,  and  sent  up  his 
card  for  Sophy.     What  passed  between  them  in  the 
silence  and  privacy  of  Mrs.  Meredith's  darkened  parlor 
was  never  known.     But  Sophy  came  forth  with  a  daz 
zling  diamond  on  her  finger,  Dick  Waters'  affianced 
bride. 


RESUME.  211 

In  September  there  was  again  a  grand  wedding  at 
Mr.  Meredith's  house.  Again,  at  Dick  Waters'  urgent 
invitation,  Mortimer  Salsby  took  his  place,  with  Noll, 
in  the  bridal  party,  while  Eva  was  made  comfortably 
retired  by  a  less  prominent  position  than  at  Ri's  wed 
ding,  with  Frank  True  as  her  companion.  Sophy 
passed  to  a  handsome  house  not  far  from  her  former 
home.  Everything  that  money  could  buy  for  her 
seemed  to  surround  her.  Many  a  young  lady  of  her 
acquaintance  thought  her  greatly  to  be  envied.  But 
Noll  said  to  Eva,  in  their  own  busy,  happy  room,  "  I 
wonder  what  ever  induced  Sophy  to  marry  Dick 
Waters." 

"  I  suppose  Sophy  likes  him,"  was  Eva's  simple  solu 
tion  of  the  mystery. 

"  But  how  could  she,  after  all  that  elopement  affair?" 

"  How  could  she  before  it,  is  the  mystery  to  me," 
said  Eva.  "  If  she  could  love  such  a  man  once,  I  sup 
pose  she  can  love  him  right  through  all  the  develop 
ments  of  his  character.  And  really,  Noll,  I  think 
Dick  is  coming  out  better,  as  a  man,  than  he  seemed 
to  promise.  Perhaps  we  didn't  see  the  best  of  him, 
and  Sophy  did." 

"  I  hope  we  saw  the  worst  of  him,  and  that  there  is 
no  more  like  it  to  come  after." 

"  So  do  I!"  and  the  girls  turned  back  from  the  wed 
ding  interruption  to  their  books  and  studies  again. 


212  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

NOLL'S  WINTER. 

"  "¥1T7~ITAT  do  you  suppose  is  the  next  movement 
Y  T  in  the  Meredith  programme  ?  "  said  Noll,  in 
a  vexed  tone,  coming  from  her  mother's  boudoir,  and 
throwing  herself  heavily  into  her  accustomed  chair  in 
the  airy  school-room. 

The  old  school-room  had  been  rearranged,  with  Mr. 
Meredith's  assistance,  according  to  the  needs  and  de 
sires  of  the  two  girls,  and  had  become  a  favorite  resort 
for  study,  reading,  and  writing.  Two  commodious 
writing-desks  were  placed  in  the  best  light  at  two  of 
the  four  large  windows.  A  handsome  book-case  had 
two  shelves  filled  with  Eva's  Latin,  French,  and  Ger 
man  granSruars  and  lexicons,  treatises  on  general  lan 
guage,  the  ancient  languages,  and  her  chosen  two 
modern  languages,  and  many  foreign  works,  whose 
translation  had  been  the  labor  of  these  past  years; 
another  shelf  held  Noll's  books  on  rhetoric  and  com 
position,  by  different  authors,  reviews  and  criticisms, 


NOLL'S  ,WINTEK.  213 

dissertations  upon  criticism,  and  a  few  mode]  volumes 
by  the  most  perfect  writers.  Other  shelves  were  de 
voted  indiscriminately  to  works  in  English,  French, 
and  German,  that  the  girls  had  seen  fit  to  read  for 
profit  or  amusement;  and  one  forlorn-looking  section, 
at  the  very  bottom,  showed  pairs  of  unhappy-looking 
algebras,  geometries,  histories,  grammars,  astronomies, 
geologies,  chemistries,  botanies,  philosophies,  physiolo 
gies,  and  a  pile  of  dejected  old  music  books.  The 
girls  had  studied  through  limited  treatises  on  each  and 
all  these  varied  subjects,  under  the  head  of  what  Mrs. 
.Hoffman  .called  desirable  general  education,  taking, 
each  term,  one  study  not  particularly  related  to  their 
chosen  course,  till  they  had  attained  some  acquaintance 
with  the  various  sciences  and  simpler  mathematics. 
A  piano,  an  improvement  on  the  rattling  old  affair  Evu 
had  found  there  when  she  first  came  to  aunt  Matilda's, 
stood  in  the  room,  and  each  still  gave  one  hour  a  day 
of  her  precious  time  to  practice.  The  general  educa 
tional  course,  which  they  had  often  regarded  as  a 
great  bore,  they  began  to  perceive  had  really  been  a 
desirable  variety  of  study.  It  was  now  completed  to 
Mrs.  Hoffman's  entire  satisfaction.  All  their  time, 
save  the  one  hour  of  practising,  was  given  unre 
servedly  to  their  favorite  studies. 

Eva  did  not  at  first  reply  to  Noll's  impatient  ex 
clamation.    She  sat  bufiily  writing  out  the  paragraph 


214  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

of  translation  that  was  just  then  engaging  her  atten 
tion.  Finishing  it  with  a  swift  scratch  of  her  pen,  she 
looked  up.  "What  is  the  next  movement?  Is  aunt 
Matilda  going  to  visit  Ri  again  ?  " 

"]STo,  indeed!  Would  that  Europe  had  been  the 
untroubled  direction  of  her  desires.  Then  I  could 
have  wished  her  good  speed,  and  gone  on  with  my 
business.  No,  it's  a  deal  worse  than  that,  Evvy,  and 
you'll  feel  as  bad  as  I  do,  I'm  afraid." 

"Do  tell  me  what  it  is." 

"You  know  it  was  my  misfortune  to  be   eighteen 
last  summer.     I  had  a  good  mind  to  deny  it,  and  de-f 
dare  I  was  only  seventeen.     But  I  suppose  it  wouldn't 
have  done  any  good,  for  ma  would  have  the  family 
Bible  to  back  her  in  her  assertion." 

"  You  are  not  going  to  come  out  —  are  you  ?  "  Eva 
asked,  in  disappointed  tones. 

"  I  suppose  I  have  got  to  do  just  that,"  replied  Noll, 
savagely.  "  The  fact  is,  Evvy,  I  never  thought  much 
about  my  coming  out,  because,  between  ourselves,  I 
did  think  Sophy  would  be  an  old  maid.  I  expected 
to  live  in  delicious  retirement  to  the  ripe  age  of  twen 
ty-five,  before  I  saw  the  nuptials  of  my  sister  Sophy, 
and  very  likely  not  see  them  then.  Perhaps,  by  that 
time,  ma  would  begin  to  give  her  up,  and  might  bring 
me  out;  but  that  would  be  a  cheerless  venture,  for  she 
never  had  any  hope  of  my  being  anything  in  society, 
I  am  so  shockingly  odd ! " 


NOLL'S  WINTER.  215 

"  I  don't  see  as  it  is  going  to  be  a  very  dreadful 
thing  for  you,  Noll.  It  will  be  lonesome  for  me,  of 
course ;  but  you  will  not  quite  forget  me,  if  you  are 
*  in  society.'  If  you  choose,  you  can  still  get  time  for 
some  reading.  You  will  have  to  give  up  writing,  of 
course." 

"Why?" 

"Because,  when  you  make  long  evenings  and  late 
hours,  you  will  not  have  nice,  fresh,  bright  mornings 
any  longer.  But  I  think,  Noll,  —  you  know  there's  a 
sweet  kernel  to  every  nut,  if  you  only  know  how  to 
crack  it,  —  perhaps  you  will  learn  as  much  by  the  ex 
perience  you  will  have  as  you  would  to  pore  over  your 
books  any  more  just  at  this  time." 

"What  shall  I  learn?" 

"Human  nature.  Think  what  a  chance  you  will 
have  to  see  people!  And  really,  Noll,  seeing  people 
is  just  what  you  need  now  to  make  your  long  course 
of  book-study  practical  and  useful.  I  am  sure  you 
will  not  give  yourself  all  up  to  the  dress  and  vanity  of 
society.  You  will  have  your  eyes  open  to  see  mani 
festations  of  character  all  around  you.  So  you  can 
consider  your  coming  out  as  promotion  into  a  higher 
class  —  from  theoretical  to  practical  instruction.  You 
will  be  carrying  on  your  course  of  study,  only  in  a 
little  different  manner." 

Noll's  face   had   been   slowly  losing    its   vexation, 


216  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

lighting  and  brightening  as  Eva  proceeded.  "I  be 
lieve  you  are  right,  Evvy.  And  I  will  continue  my 
studies,  too,  by  coming  up  here  an  hour  or  so  every 
day,  before  dinner,  and  writing  a  little  sketch  of  some 
body  or  some  event,  to  teach  me  delineation  of  the 
characters  I  observe.  That  will  be  practical  study,  if 
I  am  to  write  the  book  Minnie  predicts,  and  it  will 
not  do  any  harm  to  the  professorship,  you  know." 

Their  professorships  were  standing  jokes  among  the 
two  girls ;  so  both  laughed  at  Xoll's  consideration  for 
the  prospects  of  hers.  It  was  a  sad  trial  to  them  to 
be  separated.  It  had  been  a  thing  tacitly  understood 
among  them  that  they  should  continue  on  together  at 
school  till  Eva's  five  years  were  ended.  Now,  Eva 
must  have  a  full  school-year  alone.  But  Noll,  receiv 
ing  the  change  in  the  new  light  of  an  excellent  oppor 
tunity  for  pursuing  her  favorite  studies  under  a  new 
phase,  entered  into  the  preparations  for  her  debut  with 
cheerfulness  and  interest  that  quite  astonished  and  de 
lighted  Mrs.  Meredith,  after  her  first  stormy  expostula 
tions.  She  insisted  upon  planning  her  own  costumes, 
and  did  it  in  such  odd  and  fantastic  styles  as  quite 
frightened  her  mother.  Yet  the  singular  robes  she 
ordered  came  from  the  hands  of  the  astonished  mo 
diste  wonders  of  originality  and  beauty,  and  were  pro 
fusely  admired  by  the  fashion-loving  mother  and 
fashionable  mantua-maker.  They  were  even  copied 
by  less  gifted  girls,  as  models  of  taste  and  style. 


NOLL'S  WINTER.  217 

If  Mrs.  Meredith  had  been  proud  of  the  admiration 
bestowed  upon  Ri's  beauty,  and  satisfied  with  the 
attention  paid  her  less  attractive  daughter  Sophy,  she 
was  fated  to  be  utterly  surprised  and  delighted  at  the 
decided  sensation  everywhere  created  by  Noll.  She 
had  rather  dreaded  Noll's  coming  out,  but  found  her 
self  most  agreeably  disappointed  by  her  complete  and 
inexplicable  success.  She  could  not  understand  it. 
Noll  was  not  handsome  —  not  to  be  compared  with 
Ri.  Yet  she  was  infinitely  more  admired  by  gentle 
men,  copied  and  envied  by  ladies.  Noll's  own  philo 
sophical  explanation  of  the  social  phenomenon  was,  that 
she  "supposed  they  cared  for  her  just  because  she  did 
not  care  a  fig  for  them."  But  Eva  said,  in  the  undis 
turbed  quiet  of  the  old  school-room,  where  she  now 
spent  so  many  lonely,  busy,  but  not  unhappy  hours, 
"  It  is  because  Noll  has  her  true  life  outside  and  above 
fashionable  follies ;  because  she  does  not  care  for  petty 
vanities  and  jealousies,  but  is  a  true,  noble  woman, 
with  an  earnest  purpose  in  her  life."  The  hours  that 
Noll  spent  in  the  school-room  were  now  those  of  Eva's 
keenest  enjoyment.  It  was  so  pleasant  to  see  her 
there  again,  for  Eva  missed  her  sadly !  so  pleasant 
to  hear  the  merry  scraps  she  had  to  tell  of  people  she 
met,  and  her  shrewd  conjectures  concerning  them ! 
But  not  every  day  could  she  escape  from  the  con 
tinual  demands  of  society,  the  dress-maker,  and  her 
mother. 


218  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

Noll  was  social  by  instinct,  merry  and  good-humored 
by  natural  disposition.  Since  she  no  longer  felt  it  a 
waste  of  time,  she  threw  herself  joyfully  into  the 
gayety  and  excitement  of  her  new  position,  taking 
the  pleasure  as  it  came,  and  avoiding  all  unpleasant 
things  by  her  amiability  and  great-heartedness.  Mrs. 
Meredith  wondered  and  smiled  at  her ;  but  after  the 
certainty  that  Noll  was  to  be  a  success,  she  almost 
ceased  to  advise,  guard,  or  warn  her.  She  felt  that 
Noll's  method  was  of  a  kind  not  within  her  province, 
and  she  could  only  let  her  follow  it  out  after  her  own 
fashion,  trusting  to  its  promising  commencement  for 
an  equally  satisfactory  conclusion.  Indeed,  she  felt 
justified  in  giving  rein  to  her  wildest  hopes;  for  was 
not  Mr.  Salsby  Noll's  most  constant  companion  ?  Did 
he  ever  once  let  an  evening  pass  without  a  dance  with 
Noll,  and  a  long  talk  after  it  in  some  convenient  seclu 
sion  ?  Did  he  not  continually  linger  at  her  side,  even 
when  she  was  busied  in  conversation  with  others, 
listening  with  attentive  ear,  but  feigned  abstraction,  to 
all  her  merry  speeches,  light  talk,  and  occasional  ear 
nest  words  ?  What  did  all  these  things  mean,  if  not 
that  Mortimer  Salsby  would  yet,  as  Sophy  had  said, 
"come  into  the  family"?  Meanwhile  Mr.  Salsby  no 
longer  lavished  his  former  attentions  upon  Mrs.  Mere 
dith,  nor  did  he  appear  eager  to  call  upon  Mr.  Mere 
dith.  The  season  passed  on,  and  in  due  time  closed. 


NOLL'S  WIKTEK.  219 

The  last  party  had  been  given.  The  warm  spring  air 
was  getting  sultry.  Even  the  opera  and  theatre  boxes 
were  deserted.  There  was  no  further  hope,  in  Mrs. 
Meredith's  heart,  of  anything  from  Mr.  Salsby  this 
year.  A  little  confidential  chat  in  the  school-room,  a 
few  weeks  earlier,  would  have  revealed  a  state  of  af 
fairs,  had  Mrs.  Meredith's  ears  been  within  hearing 
distance,  that  would  probably  have  driven  that  lady 
nearly  frantic. 

"Put  away  your  book,  and  talk  with  me,  Evvy," 
said  Noll,  as  she  came  wearily  in,  with  unusually 
heavy  eyes,  after  one  of  the  last  gay  evenings  of  the 
season. 

Eva  came  to  the  sofa  beside  her,  took  her  head  in 
her  cool,  soft  little  hands,  and  soothed  her  hot 
temples. 

"I've  been  doing  something  —  taking  matters  into 
my  own  hands ;  and  I  want  you  to  tell  me  if  I  did 
right,  you  are  such  a  true  and  sure  little  conscience 
for  me." 

"  Some  things  belong  in  our  own  hands,  and  some 
do  not.  Which  have  you  been  meddling  with  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  hardly  know  myself.  I  think  it  is 
my  own  affair;  but  I  suppose  ma  would  have  preferred 
to  superintend  the  matter  for  me,  particularly  as  she 
would  probably  have  altered  the  whole,  and  had  it 
come  out  quite  differently." 


220  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"But  you  are  sure  your  way  was  right?" 

"  Yes  ;  so  sure  that  I  followed  it.  Last  night  I  was 
in  the  conservatory,  after  the  German,  with  Mr.  Salsby. 
He  almost  always  takes  me  off  somewhere  for  a  rest 
and  talk  after  dancing.  I  had  rather  have  a  good  talk 
with  him  than  a  dance ;  so  I  don't  mind  if  I  miss  a 
few  sets." 

"What  do  you  talk  about?" 

"  O,  all  sorts  of  interesting  and  sensible  things.  He 
has  a  gift  for  making  every  subject  amusing.  Then  he 
has  travelled,  and  read  everything.  Do  you  remember 
those  beautiful  little  German  tales,  that  I  persisted  in 
wading  through  in  the  original,  instead  of  using  your 
translation  ?  I  suppose  he  sent  them  to  me,  though  he 
uever  acknowledged  it.  I  was  ashamed  not  to  read 
them  for  myself  in  the  German.  All  that  little  cluster 
of  new  books  upon  the  second  shelf,  that  you  so 
admired  my  taste  and  sagacity  in  selecting,  are  from 
him,  I  suppose ;  also  the  beautiful  Easter  bouquet, 
that  made  you  exclaim  at  my  extravagance.  He  never 
sends  any  clew  with  his  gifts,  nor  ever  acknowledges 
that  he  is  the  donor,  save  by  a  little  gleam  of  pleasure 
in  his  eyes  when  I  express  my  enjoyment  of  them,  and 
a  sudden  dive  into  another  subject  of  conversation." 

Noll  was  silent  so  long,  with  her  head  lying  in  Eva's 
lap,  luxuriating  in  the  pleasant  movements  of  the  little 
fingers  over  her  temples  and  through  her  heavy,  wavy 


NOLL'S  WIKTER.  221 

hair,  her  eyes  half  shut,  and  a  vague  smile  on  her 
parted  lips,  that  Eva  said,  at  length,  "You  like  him, 
Nolly  dear  —  don't  you  ?  " 

"  O,  yes ;  of  course  I  do.  If  I  hadn't,  I  couldn't 
have  enjoyed  his  gifts  and  his  companionship  so 
much,"  returned  Noll,  in  a  commonplace  tone,  re 
suming  the  thread  of  her  story.  "  But  last  night,  I 
was  going  to  tell  you,  he  took  up  a  very  different 
strain." 

Another  silence,  till  Eva  said,  "Well?" 

"  You  know  what  it  was,  Evvy.  He  told  me  he 
didn't  care  for  anybody  else  in  the  world  but  me ; 
and  he  wanted  me  to  marry  him." 

"  And  what  did  you  say  ?  " 

« I'll  tell  you  what  I  thought,  Evvy.  If  he  didn't 
care  for  any  one  but  me,  he  ought  to !  It's  a  dreadful 
poor  plan  to  be  all  bound  up  in  one  person.  But  I 
didn't  say  just  that.  He  asked  me  if  I  didn't  care  for 
him,  because  he  certainly  had  thought  I  did.  I  said, 
*  yes,  I  thought  him  one  of  the  finest  men  I  had  ever 
known;'  whereupon  he  was  going  to  receive  me  in 
both  arms,  only  I  didn't  go,  which  very  much  surprised 
him.  Then  I  went  on  to  say  that  there  were  a  good 
many  people  and  things  that  I  cared  for  besides  him. 
I  hoped  there  always  would  be.  He  said  he  should 
not  be  jealous,  and  that  set  me  laughing,  and  made 
him  very  sober.  Well,  it  all  ended  by  my  telling  him 


222  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

just  why  I  should  never  marry  him,  nor  probably  any 
one  else,  for  that  matter." 

"  Why  is  it  ? "  asked  Eva,  somewhat  astonished  at 
this  avowal. 

"Partly  because  he  doesn't  care  for  anything  but 
me ;  because  he  has  no  earnest  purpose,  no  good 
object  before  him  in  life.  He  dawdles,  Evvy,  forever 
dawdles  his  whole  life  long !  You  know  he  has  studied, 
travelled,  read,  and  thought  —  he  has  really  thought  a 
great  deal ;  but  he  has  never  done  any  single  thing  in 
his  whole  life." 

"  It  has  not  been  a  very  long  life  yet,  you  know," 
suggested  Eva. 

"How  long?" 

"Twenty-six,  I  believe.  He  was  only  twenty-one 
when  he  came  home  to  Campfields  from  Europe." 

"Is  it  possible!     I  thought  he  must  be  over  thirty." 

"He  doesn't  look  as  old  as  that." 

"No;  but  I  supposed  him  to  be  in  a  remarkable 
state  of  preservation,  as  they  say  of  old  beauties." 

"  He  may  start  up,  and  be  good  for  something  yet." 

"I  sincerely  hope  he  may,"  said  Noll,  with  a  little 
sigh.  "It  has  always  seemed  such  a  pity  to  see  him, 
an  utter  waste  of  so  much  good  material  and  good 
culture,  doing  not  an  atom  of  good  in  the  world,  and 
apparently  having  no  aim  beyond  being  the  coveted 
son-in-law  of  all  the  mammas  of  his  extensive  ac 
quaintance." 


NOLL'S  WINTER.  223 

"I  think  he  will  go  to  work  now,  on  the  strength  of 
your  advice  and  example." 

"Nonsense,  Evvy  !  Don't  be  foolish!  Are  you  go 
ing  to  have  him  come  triumphantly  round,  at  the  end 
of  the  next  semi-decade,  a  miracle  of  benevolent  ex 
ertions,  and  marry  me,  after  all?  That's  cheap  novel 
trash !  Real-moral-little-story-like !  Men  don't  do  so, 
in  real  life,  outside  of  books.  He  suggested  reforma 
tion  to  buy  off  my  decision  ;  but  I  wouldn't  hear  of  it. 
I  told  him  he  might  reform  or  not,  as  his  own  inclina 
tion  and  good  sense  should  dictate,  but  he  needn't 
do  it  on  my  account.  I  remembered  what  you  said  of 
Dick  and  Sophy;  and  I  told  him,  as  he  had  made  his 
first  unbiased  choice  of  mere  pleasure  in  life,  so  I  de 
cided  against  him.  Whatever  he  might  do  henceforth 
would  have  its  effect  upon  his  own  future  happiness 
and  usefulness ;  but  it  could  not  alter  the  fact  he  had 
fully  established  by  the  past  years  of  his  life,  that  his 
natural  predilections  are  for  idleness  rather  than  ef 
fort,  for  admiration  rather  than  usefulness." 

"  I  think  you  were  rather  hard,"  said  Eva,  gently  and 
hesitatingly,  as  Noll  ceased. 

"Was  I,  Evvy?"  cried  Noll,  in  a  mournful  tone. 
"Well,  I  thought  it  was  right.  I  am  sure  I  was  right 
in  my  decision.  I  am  sorry  if  I  was  too  severe  in  my 
way  of  giving  it." 

"Perhaps  not  too  severe.     You  could  better  judge 


224  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

what  to  say,  at  the  time,  than  I  can,  without  the  at 
tending  circumstances,  and  with  very  little  acquaint 
ance  with  Mr.  Salsby." 

Noll  drew  herself  up,  and  went  away  to  her  own 
room,  where  she  locked  the  door,  and  cried.  Not  that 
she  repented  her  choice;  not  that  she  even  remem 
bered  the  enviable  position  of  Mortimer  Salsby's  wife ; 
but  because  he  was  cultivated,  refined,  lovable,  a  man 
not  to  be  found  in  every  thousand ;  she  might  have 
loved  him  so  thoroughly,  and  it  was  such  a  pity! 
"  Yet,"  she  whispered,  as  she  checked  her  grief,  and  set 
herself  busily  to  work,  "  It  is  the  only  right  way." 


CHABLEY'S  VISIT.  225 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHARLEY'S  VISIT. 

THE  long,  bright  days  of  June  slipped  by,  bringing 
Eva's  last  term  of  school  life  rapidly  toward  a 
close.  Mrs.  Meredith  was  planning  a  gay  summer 
season,  but  had  not  decided  what  watering-place 
should  be  illumined  by  her  presence  with  her  ad 
mired  daughter  Noll.  But  daughter  Noll  was  quietly 
frustrating  all  her  expectations.  On  one  of  these 
pleasant  June  evenings,  she  crept  into  the  library, 
and  stood  by  her  father's  chair. 

"What  is  it,  my  girl?"  asked  Mr.  Meredith,  as  he 
drew  her  upon  his  knee,  feeling  that  she  had  come 
freighted  with  something  to  say. 

"I've  had  a  letter  from  Jack." 

"Well,  what  does  he  say?" 

"He  is  quite  settled  now  in  his  new  home,  and  it  is 
only  a  few  doors  from  Eva's  uncle  Martyn." 

"That's  convenient  and  comfortable.     I  suppose  he 
is  as  happy  as  he  ought  to  be." 
15 


225          EVA  KOBEETS'  EDUCATION. 

"O,  yes.  He  says  he  shall  be  beyond  wishing  for 
anything,  if  only  —  "  Noll  hesitated. 

"There's  always  something  wanting  to  complete 
human  happiness.  What  does  he  think  he  wants?" 

"  He  writes  that  I  really  must  come  out  there,  when 
Charley  goes  back  with  Eva.  And  I  should  so  like  to 
go,  father ! "  said  Noll,  eagerly. 

"  That  would  upset  your  mother's  proposed  summer 
campaign  —  wouldn't  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  I  want  to  upset  it,  for  I  don't  want  to  go 
with  her.  I've  been  rushing  about  all  winter,  and  now 
I  am  tired  of  it.  Going  out  there  with  Eva  and  Char 
ley,  to  visit  Jack  and  Phoebe,  will  be  such  a  happy, 
home-sort  of  time ! " 

Air.  Meredith  sighed,  and  Noll  wished  she  had  not 
said  the  last  words. 

"  I  suppose  you  can  go,  my  girl.  And  perhaps  it 
•will  be  the  best  thrhg  for  you  to  do." 

Noll  caressed  her  father's  white  temples,  and  remem 
bered  how  lonely  the  house  must  seem  to  him  when  all 
the  younger  ones  were  gone.  But  she  could  not  tell 
him  so.  She  discussed  all  plans,  told  all  her  affairs  of 
real  consequence  to  him;  but  sentiment  was  a  kind  of 
conversational  dish  she  never  offered  her  father,  from 
an  instinctive  feeling  that  it  would  not  be  agreeable. 

One  rainy  July  day,  up  the  familiar  steps  came  a 
manly  tread;  and  while  the  footman  arranged  a  drip- 


CHARLEY'S    RETURN.  —  227. 


CHARLEY'S  VISIT.  227 

ping  umbrella  in  the  rack,  and  the  visitor  passed 
through  the  open  parlor  door,  Noll  sprang  along  the 
hall.  She  glanced  at  the  card  in  the  footman's  hand, 
and  whispered,  "Don't  carry  that  up  just  now."  Then 
she  stood  in  the  parlor,  looking  up,  with  mingled  sur 
prise  and  doubt,  into  the  bearded  face,  until  she  sud 
denly  recognized  the  unchanged  blue  eyes. 

"  Charley  Roberts ! "  she  cried.  "  How  you  are  be- 
whiskered !  Evvy  is  up  in  the  school-room.  Come 
with  me.  I  want  to  see  if  she  will  recognize  you 
any  quicker  than  I  did.  I  know  she  does  not  expect 
you  till  next  week." 

Noll  tripped  up  the  stairs,  eagerly  followed  by  Char 
ley.  Eva  sat  bending  over  her  desk,  busy  with  her 
last  letter  to  him,  as  her  commencement  announced. 
She  scarcely  looked  up  as  Noll  entered.  But  when  a 
pair  of  strong  arms  folded  themselves  around  her, 
lifting  her  out  of  her  chair,  and  a  dear,  though  rather 
gruffly-unfamiliar  voice,  said,  "  Terribly  busy,  Evalina 
Fairykin  ?  "  close  by  her  ear,  she  twisted  herself  about 
in  the  welcome  embrace,  with  a  joyful,  "O!"  clasped 
her  own  arms  upon  the  shoulders  she  could  but  just 
reach,  and  kissed  Charley's  dear,  kindly  face  till  the 
tears  came  dripping  over  her  own,  and  she  had  to  stop 
for  a  little  weep  upon  his  bosom.  She  never  thought 
to  mention  the  reddish-brown  mustache  and  beard 
that  had  first  caught  Noll's  attention.  Noll  had 


228  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

slipped  out  of  the  room,  but  she  returned  half  an 
hour  later  to  find  Eva  hugged  into  Charley's  lap,  with 
both  arms  still  about  his  neck,  and  wearing  the  hap 
piest  face  she  had  ever  seen. 

"You  are  going  back  with  us,  I  hope,  Noll,"  said 
Charley.  "Jack  told  me  he  wrote  for  you  to  come, 
and  you  have  not  objected." 

"  I  expect  to  go  with  you,  though  ma  is  dreadfully 
cut  up  about  it,  and  quite  refuses  to  be  comforted." 

"  Leaving  Noll  was  the  one  sad  thing  to  me  about 
going,"  said  Eva.  "  Now  I  shall  be  perfectly  happy 
and  contented  at  the  west." 

"  You  were  quite  sorry  to  leave  school,"  suggested 
Noll. 

"  I  was  sorry,  just  as  I  am  sorry  at  leaving  my  pleas 
ant  work.  Yet  I  am  glad,  because  it  is  completed ; 
and  there  is  always  satisfaction  in  reaching  the  end 
that  one  has  been  toiling  toward  for  a  long  time.  Be 
sides,  Noll  left  a  year  ago,  and  Minnie  leaves  with  me ; 
so  it  would  be  lonely  work  to  keep  on  at  school.". 

"  What  is  Minnie  going  to  do  next?  I  suppose  she 
has  some  busy  plan  on  foot,"  said  Charley. 

"She  will  continue  giving  music  lessons  at  Mrs. 
Hoffman's  school,  as  she  has  for  a  year  past.  She  has 
composed  airs  for  several  pretty  ballads,  which  have 
sold  well.  But  she  is  not  satisfied  with  her  own  com 
positions.  She  says  they  are  fearfully  tame  beside  the 


CHARLEY'S  VISIT.  229 

glorious  works  of  the  masters,  and  she  prefers  learning 
to  express  real  music,  to  helping  flood  the  world  with 
weak  tunes  of  no  real  value." 

"  She  is  a  regular  devotee  to  her  chosen  art,"  said 
Noll. 

"  I  think  she  is  mistaken,"  continued  Eva,  "  in  feel 
ing  that  her  pretty  little  airs  are  worthless,  because 
they  do  not  bear  comparison  with  the  great  masters. 
They  give  pleasure  and  delight  to  many  people  who 
never  hear  the  grander  music,  and  who  would  not 
appreciate  it  if  they  did." 

"  So  I  think,"  said  Charley,  gravely,  letting  Eva 
slide  gently  to  her  feet,  while  he  crossed  one  knee 
over  the  other,  and  stared  straight  into  the  empty 
grate. 

"  Why  don't  you  inquire  after  our  professions  ? " 
asked  Noll. 

"Sure  enough!  Tell  me  all  about  them,"  replied 
Charley,  still  a  little  abstracted. 

"Eva  is  looking  for  a  position  as  professor  of  modern 
languages  in  some  great  western  college,  as  yet  un 
founded  ;  while  I  am  to  flourish  in  the  same  institution 
in  the  department  of  belles-lettres." 

"O,  Noll,  you  know  I'm  not,"  said  Eva. 

"We  shall  want  Fay  Featherly  at  home,  to  keep 
house  for  uncle  Martyn  and  me,  now  Phosbe  is  gone," 
said  Charley. 


230  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION". 

"  That  may  he  a  good  place  for  her,  just  at  present, 
until  the  college  is  founded ;  but  then  you'll  be  get 
ting  married,  or  perhaps  your  uncle  Alartyn  will,  and 
you'll  not  want  her  after  that." 

Charley  blushed,  and  grew  uncomfortable ;  but  Noll 
proceeded,  shaking*  her  head,  "I  know  all  about  it,  for 
I  used  to  want  to  keep  house  for  my  brother  Jack  ;  but 
he  always  told  me  flatly  that  he  was  going  to  be  mar 
ried,  and  should  not  need  my  services.  I  hope  you 
have  been  equally  sincere  with  Eva,  and  not  stimu 
lated  in  her  any  false  hopes  in  that  direction." 
Though  Noll  tried'  to  say  it  all  in  comic  strain, 
there  did  so  strong  a  thread  of  earnestness  run 
through  her  words  as  to  make  Charley  turn  a  con 
science-smitten  face  toward  Eva.  But  Eva  was  look 
ing  straight  at  Noll,  and  did  not  see  it. 

"  You  and  Jack  have  not  grown  up  and  grown  to 
gether,  as  Charley  and  I  did,"  she  said.  "  Of  course 
Charley  will  get  married  some  time,  I  hope.  But  he 
will  not  want  to  be  rid  of  me  on  that  account.  And 
then,  you  know,  besides  —  "  Eva  hesitated,  and  the 
pink  slowly  deepened  in  her  cheeks. 

" Exactly,"  laughed  Charley;  "Eva  Earnest  will  be 
married  herself  some  day." 

"  "Well,  to  be  sure,  that  makes  a  difference,"  returned 
Noll,  gravely ;  and  somehow  there  came  such  a  hurt 
and  heartsick  look  in  the  corners  of  Noll's  pleasant 


CHARLEY'S  VISIT.  231 

mouth,  that  Charley,  too,  grew  sober,  and  wondered 
what  he  could  have  said  to  grieve  her.  But  Eva  in 
terrupted  by  sending  him  off  to  dress  for  dinner,  tell 
ing  him  his  coat  was  very  damp,  his  linen  quite  dis 
reputable,  and  his  hands  really  dingy. 

Charley  spent  many  days  in  visiting  his  old  school 
mates  and  acquaintances.  He  and  Eva  made  a  trip  to 
Campfields,  where  they  found  place  and  people  very 
much  as  we  last  saw  them.  Little  Nora  Craig  was 
grown  into  a  pretty  four-year-old  child,  and  a  fat,  roll 
ing  boy  of  two  rejoiced  in  the  inheritance  of  his 
father's  name,  seemingly  the  only  endowment  he  had 
received  from  that  worthy  man.  James  had  been  sick, 
but  was  now  considered  convalescent.  The  day  spent 
at  Campfields  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  Charley's 
eastern  visit.  His  old  friends,  the  Trues,  and  Eva,  re 
ceived  about  an  equal  share  of  his  time.  Frank's 
studies  were  just  completed,  and  he  was"  about  enter 
ing  upon  the  practice  of  law.  Mrs.  True  still  lived  in 
the  handsome  house  where  Charley  had  first  known 
them,  but  it  hardly  seemed  the  same  place  to  him. 
The  parlors  were  closed,  and  seldom  or  never  used. 
The  library  had  become  a  study  for  Frank  and  Minnie. 
Mrs.  True's  boudoir  was  her  usual  sitting-room  ;  a  little 
breakfast-room  the  habitual  dining-room.  More  than 
half  the  large  house  was  unoccupied.  Frank  was  ab 
sent  much  of  the  time,  and  two  servants  were  amply 


232  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

sufficient  for  the  little  remnant  of  the  family.  It 
touched  Charley  deeply  to  see  the  changed  life  of 
his  dear  old  friends.  In  one  of  the  long,  rambling 
walks  through  the  artful  wildernesses  of  Central  Park, 
which  he  and  Frank  often  took  together,  he  spoke  of 
Mrs.  True's  altered  life. 

"Mother  has  never  cared  for  society  since  father 
died.  And  besides,"  said  Frank,  with  characteristic 
candor,  "  we  are  poor  now,  and  that  makes  a  world  of 
difference,  as  far  as  society  is  concerned." 

"  Comparatively  poor,  you  mean.  Not  poor  as  we 
were  when  you  came  to  see  us  at  Campfields." 

"Do  you  know,  Charley,  I  didn't  half  understand 
you  then  ?  I  thought  you  were  putting  on  haughty 
airs,  for  fear  I  should  patronize  you." 

"I  didn't  see  how  to  explain  my  position  to  you.  I 
knew  you  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  me." 

"  Now,"  said  Frank,  after  a  pause,  "  I  am  going  to  set 
my  folks  out  of  penury,  just  as  you  did  yours." 

"  I  hope  you  will  succeed  a  great  deal  better  than 
I  did." 

"  I  ought  to,  as  I  have  let  them  wait  for  me  to  grow 
up,  and  prepare  myself  for  the  bar.  I  hope  to  achieve 
more  in  the  abstract  amount  of  money,  but  not  more 
in  comparison  with  my  age  and  advantages." 

"And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  with  your  wealth? 
Your  mother  and  Minnie  will  hardly  wish  to  enter 
fashionable  society.  What  will  you  do  for  them?" 


CHAELEY  S    VISIT.  233 

"  First,  prevail  upon  mother  to  give  up  that  odious 
fine  sewing,  that  she  takes  in  to  provide  herself  with 
pocket  money." 

"Does  she!"  exclaimed  Charley.  "That's  just 
what  my  mother  used  to  do,"  he  added,  as  an  offset 
to  his  surprise. 

"  I  shaM  see  that  her  purse  is  well  filled  all  the  time, 
and  then,  with  Minnie  to  back  me,  commence  a  sys 
tematic  course  of  teasing  her  to  give  up  the  sewing. 
Minnie  does  not  yet  know  that  mother  does  it." 

"I  thought  she  didn't;"  then,  looking  very  much 
aghast  at  the  words  that  had  escaped  him,  Charley 
hurriedly  asked,  "What  next?" 

"  I  want  a  better  piano  for  Minnie  —  a  real  Steinway 
Parlor  Grand." 

"Why  don't  you  —  "  Charley's  mouth  suddenly 
shut  with  a  snap  over  his  half-formed  question. 

"Why  don't  I  what?" 

"  Nothing.  On  second  thought,  I'd  rather  you 
wouldn't,  so  I'll  not  suggest  it  to  you." 

"I  mean  to  give  Minnie  a  chance  for  better  musical 
instruction  than  she  has  ever  had  yet,"  continued 
Frank.  "  She  has  got  her  best  lessons  with  what  she 
earned  teaching  beginners,  and  that's  drudgery  for  her. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  she  came  out  a  genius  at  music ; 
but  I  wouldn't  say  so  to  any  one  but  you,  of  course. 
Come,  I've  all  but  walked  my  legs  off.  Let's  sit 


234  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

down,"  he   added,  perching  himself  upon  an  uncom 
monly  high  bench. 

"You  haven't  told  me  what  you  will  do  next,  after 
you  have  your  mother  and  sister  provided  for." 
Frank  colored,  began  to  whistle,  broke  off,  and  dis 
covered  a  sudden  interest  in  a  bit  of  landscape.  "  I 
want  to  hear  what  schemes  you  have  for  beyig  a  great 
man  some  day,"  Charley  persisted. 

"  O,"  came  from  Frank  in  so  relieved  a  tone  as  to 
make  Charley  look  up,  and  detect  the  traces  of  his  re 
cent  confusion.  "Those  plans  are  dim  yet.  Of  course 
I  shall  work  along  at  my  best,  and  hope  to  be  tolerably 
successful.  If  I  am  not,  it  shall  not  be  for  want  of 
trying.  I  can,  at  least,  make  a  comfortable  living  for 
myself  and  my  own  folks.  I  am  sure  I  am  equal  to 
that." 

"Look  here,  Frank! — "  and  there  Charley  broke 
off,  and  sat  pitching  his  knife  into  the  seat  between 
them. 

"Well?"  interrogated  Frank. 

"Did  you  know,  when  I  was  a  boy,  I  was  in  love 
with  your  sister  Mary?" 

"I  inferred  that  you  were." 

Charley  shut  his  knife  with  a  sharp  click,  and  rising, 
returned  it  to  his  pocket.  "Well,  I  like  Minnie  best 
now,"  he  said,  standing  with  face  a  little  averted.  "I 
shall  come  east  again  in  about  three  years,  perhaps 


CHARLEY'S  VISIT.  235 

less  if  she  will  go  back  with  me.  Maybe  you'll  have 
nobody  but  your  mother  to  take  care  of  after  that." 

Frank  listened  with  a  wonderfully  eager  and  de 
lighted  face,  and  then  gave  a  long,  low  whistle.  "  I 
haven't  the  least  objection  to  the  arrangement,  my 
dear  fellow,  only  —  you  —  " 

"  What  ? "  asked  Charley,  turning  sharply,  as  he 
hesitated. 

Frank's  face  had  grown  uncomfortably  red.  "You 
don't  think  half  so  much  of  Minnie  as  I  do  of  your 
Eva,"  he  blurted  out,  suddenly. 

"Pshaw!  How  do  you  know?"  and  Charley 
grasped  Frank's  hand.  "Then  it  is  an  even  ex 
change." 

"  I  don't  know  what  Eva  thinks,"  stammered  Frank. 

"  Well,  I  know  that,  years  ago,  when  we  were  chil 
dren,  she  used  to  be  holding  you  up  as  a  pattern  boy, 
and  the  best  of  all  my  schoolmates.  She  hasn't  said 
much  about  you  of  late  years,  except  how  relieved  and 
thankful  she  felt  to  find  you  in  St.  James'  Chapel,  and 
have  your  company  home." 

Frank's  modest  face  brightened  at  this  information. 
"  I  am  going  in  for  being  a  great  man,  after  all,  Char 
ley.  I  want  to  put  Eva  back  in  the  same  position  her 
mother  used  to  hold." 

"  I  am  afraid  she  will  not  want  that,"  returned  Char 
ley  ;  and  the  two  boys  went  into  detailed  accounts  of 


236  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

business  prospects,  as  they  rambled  slowly  home 
ward. 

On  the  day  that  Charley  started  for  the  west,  with 
Noll  and  Eva,  a  long,  odd  package  was  left  by  express 
at  Mrs.  True's  door  for  Minnie.  Reposing  within  its 
velvet-lined  case  was  a  beautiful  little  violin.  Minnie 
was  in  ecstasy  with  every  inch  of  it  —  the  dark,  rich 
ly-polished  surface,  the  delicate  strings,  with  their 
dainty,  pearl-handled  screws,  its  graceful  shape,  and 
convenient  size.  When  Frank  came  home,  she  ran  to 
tell  him  her  joy  and  gratitude.  He  looked  at  the 
beautiful  gift,  in  its  handsome  case,  and  then  at  Min 
nie's  glowing,  happy  face. 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  so  pleased ;  but  don't  thank  me 
for  it." 

"Well,  then,  I'll  not  thank  you  ;  bat  I  want  you  to 
know  how  delighted  I  am,  and  how  perfectly  happy 
you  have  made  me." 

"Don't  credit  me  with  your  happiness,  either,"  he 
replied,  with  an  uncomfortable  laugh. 

"O,  I  never  run  an  account  with  you  in  such  mat 
ters.  I  should  only  be  keeping  a  record  of  my  own 
indebtedness." 

"  But  I  didn't  send  you  the  violin,  Minnie." 

"Why,  Frank,  you  don't  mean  that?" 

"Yes,  I  do.  I  never  saw  it  before,  and  didn't 
know  you  were  to  have  it." 


CHARLEY'S  VISIT.  237 

"  Is  it  possible  there's  a0  mistake  ? "  said  Minnie, 
her  cheek  paling  at  the  thought,  as  she  hastily  turned 
over  the  wrappers.  But  no;  there  it  was,  plainly 
enough,  her  own  name,  with  street  and  number,  all 
correct.  And  Minnie  lifted  a  blank  face  of  wonder 
and  astonishment  to  Frank.  "  Who  could  have  sent 
it?" 

"  I  think,  my  dear  little  sister,  that  on  this  particular 
occasion  you  are  unusually  and  remarkably  stupid." 
And  Frank  went  laughing  away,  looking  very  wise  in 
his  own  mind.  He  knew  now  what  Charley  was  on 
the  point  of  advising  him  to  do  for  Minnie,  and  then 
refused  to  suggest.  But  he  forgot,  while  he  laughed 
at  Minnie's  bewilderment,  that  he  would  have  been  no 
wiser  than  she,  if  he  had  been  told  no  more. 


238  EVA  KOBEKTS'  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HOME    IN    THE    WEST. 

IT  was  early  in  the  morning  .that  Charley,  Eva,  and 
Noll  reached  Chicago.  They  went  directly  to  Mr. 
Martyn's  house.  A  solemn-looking,  elderly  woman, 
whom  Charley  introduced  as  Mrs.  Dole,  received  them, 
and  after  they  had  refreshed  themselves  with  a  bath 
and  change  of  clothing,  ushered  them  to  a  pleasant 
dining-room,  where  an  appetizing  breakfast  awaited 
them.  Charley  slipped  away  to  look  in  upon  business, 
after  his  six  weeks'  absence,  bidding  the  girls  go  to  bed 
and  have  a  good  rest;  for  Jack  and  Phoebe  would  be 
round  to  dinner,  and  want  to  make  an  evening 
of  it.  Noll  and  Eva  didn't  need  any  urging,  as  their 
two  nights  upon  the  cars  had  been  but  little  blessed 
with  sleep,  and  before  twelve  o'clock  were  both  lost  in 
a  dreamless  oblivion.  Charley  returned  in  a  few  hours, 
threw  himself  upon  a  sofa,  and  followed  the  girls'  ex 
cellent  example.  A  huge  bell,  solemnly  tolled  in  the 
front  hall  for  the  space  of  thirty  seconds,  roused  the 


HOME   IN    THE    WEST.  239 

half-awake  travellers,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were 
assembled  in  the  parlor,  where  they  found  Mr.  Martyn 
waiting  to  welcome  them,  and  also  Jack  and  Phoebe. 

"  This  seems  like  home  at  last,"  said  Mr.  Martyn, 
after  dinner,  as  he  settled  himself  comfortably  in  his 
own  great  chair,  and  drew  Eva  to  another  beside  him. 
"  Are  you  ready  to  throw  up  your  books  now,  little 
bird,  and  keep  house  for  Charley  and  me  ?  " 

"  Not  ready  to  throw  up  the  books,  but  quite  ready, 
and  very  glad,  to  keep  house  for  you,  and  make  a  beau 
tiful  real  home  for  us  all,"  replied  Eva,  a  happy  smile 
lighting  up  her  sweet  face,  as  she  remembered  how  her 
mother  had  always  made  home  for  her  and  Charley, 
and  she  had  seemed  to  have  none  since  that  mother 
left  them. 

Charley  watched  her,  wondering  why  he  had  never 
noticed  before  how  much  Eva  looked  like  their  mother. 

"  Not  ready  to  give  up  books  ?  How's  that  ?  I 
thought  that  was  in  the  agreement." 

"  You  know  that  I  have  left  school.  I  hope  to  do 
something  besides  study  books  now.  But  you  surely 
do  not  wish  me  to  give  up  reading,  or  even  studying, 
if  I  like  to  do  so." 

"  O,  no ;  but  girls  do  not  generally  care  much  for 
books  after  they  are  grown  up  and  have  a  house  to 
look  after,  or  go  out  into  society.  Society  very  soon 
spoils  the  studious  vein  out  of  girls." 


240  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"  Not  always,  uncle  Martyn.  It  has  not  spoiled  it 
out  of  Noll,"  Eva  asserted  in  a  tone  of  proud  triumph, 
"  and  I  don't  mean  it  shall  spoil  it  out  of  me." 

"  I  want  to  know  if  Noll  has  kept  up  her  studying 
through  the  past  winter,"  said  Jack,  from  the  window. 
Pie  was  half  hidden  in  the  curtain,  whence  he  watched, 
with  curious,  scrutinizing  eyes,  the  two  girls  he  had 
left,  as  he  mockingly  said,  "  at  the  commencement  of 
their  professional  education,"  four  years  ago. 

"  Yes,  Jack,  I  have,"  replied  Noll,  with  a  touch  of 
honest  pride.  "  Of  course  I  couldn't  be  as  regular  and 
systematic  as  before ;  but  I  have  never  missed  my 
hours  in  the  school-room  more  than  two  days  in  the 
week." 

"And  once  she  gave  up  having  a  new  dress,  and 
wore  an  old  one  to  a  grand  party,  to  get  her  hours  for 
study,"  added  Eva,  while  Noll  blushed  and  muttered, 
"  That  was  nothing." 

"  Noll,  I  honor  you  ! "  said  Jack,  heartily.  "  Phoebe 
has  often  told  me  how  sorry  she  was  to  give  up  her 
studies  when  she  was  obliged  to  do  so  in  order  to  be 
housekeeper  and  nurse  at  home.  I  always  thought 
that  evinced  a  wonderful  devotion  to  literature.  But 
that  any  girl  should  stick  to  her  books  amid  all  the  whirl 
and  gayety  of  a  winter  in  the  thickest  of  fashionable 
life  in  New  York,  was  an  idea  too  preposterous  to  be 
credited  for  a  single  instant.  I  don't  understand  how 
it  could  be,  now,"  he  added,  doubtfully. 


HOME    IX    THE    WEST.  241 

"  It  was  because  I  studied  with  an  aim  at  being  use 
ful,  and  not  merely  as  a  penance  to  be  undergone*  until 
I  should  be  chastened  into  fit  shape  for  coming  out," 
replied  Noll. 

"  You  have  always  persisted  in  thinking  me  an  un 
usual  sort  of  woman,"  said  Phoebe ;  "  but  you  will 
certainly  have  to  learn,  now  that  Noll  and  Eva  are 
come,  that  there  are  others  who  entertain  similar  views, 
and  who  recognize  usefulness  as  one  of  the  greatest 
blessings  of  life." 

"  I  hope  I  shall,"  said  Jack.  "  My  opinion  of  women 
lias  so  changed  since  I  knew  PhoBbe,  that  I  have  become 
twice  as  much  of  a  man  as  I  should  ever  have  been 
without  her.  So  I  hail  a  further  awakening,  and  shall 
be  glad  to  learn  more  of  the  same  sort." 

"What  has  my  little  girl  learned  in  all  these  five 
long  years?"  asked  Mr.  Martyn  of  Eva. 

"Do  you. want  me  to  run  through  a  list  of  all  the 
books  I  have  studied  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  hear  what  you  have  learned,"  he  re 
plied. 

"  We  studied  —  Noll  and  I  —  the  books  that  I  sup 
pose  eveiy  one  does  to  get  a  general  idea  of —  well, 
almost  everything  —  mathematics,  and  little  synoptical 
surveys  of  the  sciences ;  but  we  don't  know  any  of 
them  very  thoroughly." 

"  That's  bad,"  said  Mr.  Martyn,  looking  grave. 
16 


242  EVA  EGBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

"We  didn't  think  so.  "We  couldn't  learn  all  of 
everything.  Nobody  can  do  that.  So  we  took  just 
enough  of  everything  not  to  be  absurdly  ignorant  of 
every-day  matters.  Then  we  each  worked  hard  and 
thoroughly  at  our  own  forte." 

"  That's  better.     What  is  your  forte  ?  " 

"  Language.  *  I  studied  its  history  and  composition, 
its  derivation  and  construction ;  then  I  attended  espe 
cially  to  Latin,  French,  and  German,  in  connection  with 
English.  I  understand  them  very  well,  and  can  teach 
or  translate  them  satisfactorily,  I  think." 

Mr.  Martyn  looked  dissatisfied.     "Which  of  the  four 
do  you  understand  best?"  he  asked. 
•    "  English,  of  course." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  What  good  will  the  rest  do 
you,  child  ?  "  he  said. 

Eva's  face  was  shaded  over  at  once.  Her  blue  eyes 
deepened  with  disappointment  and  grief.  "  They  are 
my  tools  to  work  with,  uncle,  if  I  should  ever  again 
need  to  work  as  I  did  at  Campfields,"  she  said,  ear 
nestly. 

Mr.  Marty n  smiled  incredulously,  but  he  only  said, 
"  Perhaps  so,  perhaps  so."  He  did  not  mean  that  she 
should  ever  have  to  work  like  that  again ;  but  he 
thought  if  it  was  any  comfort  to  her  to  think  she 
could  be  more  efficient  in  such  a  time  of  need,  he 
would  not  object  to  the  fancy. 


HOME    IX    THE    WEST.  243 

"  "We  cannot  tell  what  may  happen  to  any  of  us," 
Jack  said,  seriously. 

"  Indeed,"  spoke  up  Noll,  "  what  is  the  use  of 
spending  valuable  time  and  money  in  cultivating  femi 
nine  brains,  if  they  are  presumed  to  be  worthless  ever 
after  ?  I  mean  to  tur-n  mine  to  proper  account." 

"  Hope  you  will !  "  cried  Jack. 

"  Is  that  all  you  have  learned  ?  "  resumed  Mr.  Martyn. 

Eva  was  silent  and  perplexed. 

"  I'll  tell  you  one  thing  more,  father,"  said  Jack. 
"  She  has  learned  to  be  a  little  woman.  She  was 
something  of  that  when  she  first  came  to  us;  but  she 
has  grown  a  good  deal  larger  —  in  her  soul  I  mean  — 
she  is  always  a  mite  of  a  body;  she  is  stronger  and 
braver.  She  thinks  deeper  and  sees  farther.  Isn't  it 
so,  Evvy?" 

"  I  hope  so.  I  suppose  most  people  learn  those 
things  as  they  grow  up." 

"  Well,  they  don't,"  replied  Jack.  "  And  Noll,  here, 
has  grown  more  steady  and  earnest.  She  is  more 
thoughtful  and  more  gentle  than  when  I  left  her,  four 
years  ago." 

"  O,  wait  till  I  find  my  handkerchief,  to  hide  my 
blushes!"  cried  Noll.  "I'm  not  used  to  being 
praised." 

"  Xoll  has  talents  in  all  sorts  of  ways,"  said  Eva,  in 
a  tone  of  affectionate  admiration.  "  She  was  good  at 


244  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

books,  but  that  did  not  prevent  her  from  outshining  both 
Ri  and  Sophy  in  society.  Aunt  Matilda  is  very  proud 
of  her,  now  that  she  has  discovered  her  social  talents. 
How  did  you  contrive  to  keep  them  hid  so  long, 
Nolly  dear?" 

"  I  never  kept  anything  hid  in  my  life,  except 
Dionysius'  ear.  I  think  the  non-discovery  of  my 
social  talents  was  due  solely  to  the  obtuseness  of  my 
friends." 

"  Mother  wrote  me  you  were  a  great  success,"  said 
Jack. 

"Tell  me  what  else  you  have  learned,"  persisted  Mr. 
Martyn,  holding  one  of  Eva's  hands  caressingly  in  his 
own. 

"Something  in  the  common-sense  line, Evvy,  is  what 
he  wants,"  suggested  Jack. 

"O!"  But  still  Eva  was  unable  to  rehearse  the  ad 
ditions  she  had  made  to  her  real  wisdom.  Is  is  al 
ways  easier  to  recite  off  book-knowledge  than  to  give 
the  results  of  our  thought  and  experience.  So  Eva 
sat  puzzled  and  distressed,  and  could  not  answer. 

"What  do  you  think  is  the  best  way  to  live?"  Mr. 
Martyn  asked. 

But  still  Eva  could  frame  no  words  to  reply.  The 
color  rushed  over  her  face,  which  she  hid  in  her  hands, 
as  she  realized  her  failure,  and  thought  how  he  must 
suppose  all  the  time  and  money  he  had  so  kindly 


HOME    IX    THE    WEST.  245 

devoted  to  her  education  unwisely  bestowed,  since  she 
had  not  learned  what  he  expected  and  wished  she 
should.  This  was  more  than  Noll  could  sit  calmly 
by  and  see. 

"  It  is  too  bad  of  you,  Mr.  Martyn ! "  she  cried,  more 
earnestly  than  respectfully.  "Evvy  knows  just  as 
well  as  anybody,  only  she  can't  say  it.  Wait,  and 
you'll  see,  as  time  passes  and  occasions  arise,  she  will 
go  right  on,  and  live  a  noble,  true  life,  though  she  may 
not  be  quite  up  to  the  metaphysics  of  defining  it." 

Noll's  well-meant  but  aggressive  defence  of  her  was 
Eva's  final  and  greatest  distress.  It  was  dreadful  to 
hear  her  speak  out  so  to  this  dear,  good  uncle  Martyn, 
who  had  done  so  much  for  her!  Would  he  think  she 
had  not  always  spoken  lovingly  and  respectfully  of 
him,  that  Noll  dared  address  him  so?  She  lifted 
quickly  her  blushing  face,  and  kissed  the  hands  that 
covered  and  held  hers.  "I  think  I  have  learned  some 
common  sense  about  life,  uncle,"  she  said,  "but  I  real 
ly  don't  know  how  to  tell  it  off  at  your  bidding.  I  am 
afraid  you  will  have  to  wait,  and  find  out  what  I  have 
learned  by  my  every-day  life  here." 

"You've  learned  that  it's  not  the  end  and  aim  of  life 
to  come  out  in  society,  and  catch  a  husband,"  said 
Charley.  "  I  know  that  by  your  letters." 

"Indeed,  I  have,"  replied  Eva,  "and  I  cannot  re 
member  any  time  when  I  supposed  it  was." 


246  EVA   EOBEKTS'   EDUCATION". 

"That's  well,"  said  Mr.  Martyn.  "I  shall  fine!  out 
your  virtues  and  wisdom  in  time,  little  girl,  and  per 
haps  all  the  more  pleasantly  that  you  could  not  tell  me 
them." 

"Speaking  of  husbands,"  said  Jack,  "has  no  one 
captured  that  desirable  Salsby  yet  ? " 

The  girls  were  silent. 

"I  believe  not,"  answered  Charley.  "I  saw  and 
spoke  with  him,  and  he  is  still  untrammelled  with 
matrimony.  I  think  he  improves,  however.  Pie 
seems  to  have  grown  more  manly  in  spite  of  his 
disadvantages  in  the  shape  of  flattery  and  idleness." 

"It's  too  bad!"  said  Jack,  with  comically  feigned 
regret.  "It  is  mortifying,  too,  when  all  my  sisters 
wanted  him  so  badly ! " 

"Nonsense!"  said  Eva. 

"They  did,"  persisted  Jack;  "either  one  of  them 
would  have  cut  off  a  heel  or  a  toe,  like  Cinderella's 
sisters,  to  marry  Mortimer  Salsby." 

"But  don't  libel  Cinderella,  for  she  didn't  mutilate 
her  feet  for  the  prince,"  returned  Eva,  eager  to  protect 
Noll's  honor. 

"No;  because  she  could  get  him  without,  in  the 
story.  I  suppose  Noll  gave  up  in  the  outset,  and 
spared  her  toes." 

"Noll  didn't  want  him;  so  she  had  no  need  to 
give  up." 


HOME    IN    THE    WEST.  247 

«  Sour  grapes ! "  laughed  Jack,  incredulously. 

"It  wasn't  sour  grapes!"  cried  Eva,  impetuously, 
and  then  stopped  short,  fearing  she  was  guilty  of  u 
breach  of  confidence,  and  grieved  at  Noll's  flushed  and 
averted  face. 

Jack  looked  up  at  her  earnest  disclaimer,  and  saw 
her  frightened  glance  at  Noll.  His  eyes  followed  hers, 
and  read  Noll's  confused  and  displeased  face.  He  rose 
and  walked  to  her  side.  Charley  and  Phffibe  were 
holding  an  independent  conversation,  in  which  Mr. 
Martyn  took  part.  Bending  over  her,  he  asked,  in  a 
low  tone,  "Is  that  so,  Noll?  Wouldn't  you  marry 
Mortimer  Salsby?" 

«  No,  Jack." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  he  leads  an  aimless,  useless  life.  We 
were  very  good  friends  all  winter.  He  is  delightful 
for  amusement  and  recreation;  but  he  doesn't  know 
how  to  work,  nor  care  for  it.  I  mean  to  work,  and  be 
good  for  something." 

"Noll"  —  and  Jack  lifted  her  face  in  his  two  hands 
—  "  Noll,  I  am  proud  of  you !  I  glory  in  you !  If  other 
women  were  like  you,  and  Phoabe,  and  Eva,  there 
would  be  better  men,  too.  God  bless  you,  my  grand 
girl,  and  send  you,  one  of  these  days,  a  better  husband 
than  Mortimer  Salsby." 

Noll  smiled  gladly  at  the  praise  from  him  whose 


248  EVA  EOBEKTS'  EDUCATION. 

approbation  she  most  valued,  and  then  dropped  her  face 
upon  the  window  at  the  final  wish,  thinking,  "Ah!  no; 
God  will  never  do  that ! " 

"  Uncle,"  said  Eva,  as  she  bade  Mr.  Martyn  good 
night,  "  I  have  been  thinking  of  your  question,  '  What 
have  I  learned?'  and  I  am  sure  that  the  best  and 
greatest  part  of  my  education  was  in  my  daily  1'hfe,  at 
aunt  Matilda's,  and  not  at  school."  Mr.  Martyn's  kind, 
keen  eyes  were  on  her  face,  but  she  was  not  now  con 
fused  by  them.  "  Because  there  I  saw  and  learned  the 
unsatisfactoriness  of  frivolous  life.  I  shall  never  want 
to  '  come  out '  as  Ri  and  Sophy  did.  Noll  contrived  to 
enjoy  it,  but  it  was  because  she  did  not  give  herself  up 
to  it,  heart  and  soul,  as  the  other  girls  did.  She  had 
something  else  better  in  her  mind.  So  I  have  learned 
that  we  can  only  enjoy  our  pleasures  when  we  have 
our  earnest  work  forever  underlying  and  behind 
them." 

"That  will  do,  my  little  girl.  You  have  learned  a 
great  lesson.  And  now  I  will  tell  you  that  I  wanted 
you  to  go  to  your  aunt  Matilda's  for  the  very  reason 
that  I  thought  the  experience' would  do  you  good. 
You  were  brought  up  so  shielded  in  the  arms  of  your 
mother  and  Charley,  that  you  had  had  no  occasion  to 
think  or  act  for  yourself.  In  your  aunt's  family  I 
found  two  equal  and  opposite  tendencies  —  one  to- 


HOME    IN    THE    WEST.  249 

ward  an  earnest  and  useful  life,  in  Mr.  Meredith, 
Jack,  and  Noll;  the  other,  toward  fashion  and  idle 
ness.  I  was  sure  you  had  enough  of  your  dear,  good 
mother  in  your  character  to  make  you  gravitate  to  tlte 
right  side ;  but  I  wanted,  for  your  own  strengthening 
and  benefit,  that  you  should  be  placed  there  alone,  — 
no  Charley  to  aid  you, — that  you  might  learn  to  de 
cide  and  follow  your  own  course,  and  thereby  gain 
self-reliance  and  confidence.  I  think  my  little  experi 
ment  has  succeeded  well." 

"  Thank  you,  uncle ;  I  feared  I  had  disappointed 
you." 

"No,  indeed!  Never  think  that  again.  You  are 
come  home  now  to  be  my  own  little  girl.  Since  Jack 
has  carried  off  my  Phoebe, —  and  I  find  you  sent  him 
here,  —  I  must  have  you  to  make  good  her  place  in 
my  house.  It  has  been  empty  enough  with  only  Mrs. 
Dole  for  enlivenment.  Will  you  come,  and  be  my 
little  daughter?" 

"Yes,  uncle,  I  will,  gladly." 

Eva  and  Noll  found  a  new  and  strange  life  in  their 
western  home ;  but  in  it  was  ample  room  and  opportu 
nity  to  be  "good  for  something."  Their  liberal  educa 
tion,  the  habits  of  industry  and  systematic  labor  they 
had  formed,  and  their  knowledge  of  people  and  ways, 
were  all  useful  in  the  life  that  opened  before  them. 


250  EVA  ROBERTS'  EDUCATION. 

They  entered  heartily  and  gladly  upon  the  various 
work  that  came  to  their  hands,  and,  happy  in  their 
continued  companionship  and  love,  passed  some  of  the 
pleasantest  years  of  their  lives  in  their  busy  home  in 
the  west. 


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LITTLE  AGNES'  LIBRARY. 

4  volumes.     Each  volume  illustrated.    Price,  $1.50. 

LITTLE    AGNES. 

TRYING    TO     BE    USEFUL. 
I  'LL    TRY. 

ART    AND     ARTLESSNESS. 

For  family  reading  and  Sabbath  School  libraries  there  are  no  better  books 
•written  than  these  by  Mrs.  Leslie.  With  attractive  and  interesting  itorlea 
are  rr.inglcd  wholesome  truths  and  moral  lessons.  Of  all  these  books  large 
editions  have  been  printed,  and  they  may  be  found  largely  circulated  in  Sab 
bath  Schools. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on 
roueipt  of  price. 

LEE  &  SHEPARO,  Publishers,  Boston. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD'S  JUVENILE  PUBLICATIONS. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S    BOOKS. 

THE  BOAT  CLUB  SEMES, 

A  litauy  for  Young  People.    Each  volume  illustrate!    In  sets  or  separate. 


THE     BOAT     CLUB  ;   or,  the  Bunkers  of  Rippleton. 
$1.25. 

"  One  noticeable  feature  of  this  author's  books  is  their  purity.  Not  a  line 
Is  to  be  found  in  any  work  of  his  but  what  will  tend  to  elevate  and  purify  the 
mind  of  the  boy  or  girl  who  may  peruse  it." 

ALL    ABOARD  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Lake.      $1.25. 

"ALL  ABOARD"  was  written  to  gratify  the  reasonable  curiosity  of  the 
readers  of  the  "Boat  Club"  to  know  what  occurred  at  Woodlake  during  the 
second  season ;  and  though  it  is  a  sequel,  it  has  no  direct  connection  with  its 
predecessor.  The  Introduction  in  the  first  chapter  contains  a  brief  synopsis 
of  the  principal  events  of  the  first  season ;  so  that  those  who  have  not  read 
the  "Boat  Club"  will  labor  under  no  disadvantage  on  that  account. 

NOW    OR     NEVER  ;  or,   the  Adventures  of  Bobby 
Bright.     $1.25. 

The  author  has  been  for  many  years  a  successful  teacher  in  one  of  the 
Boston  Public  Schools,  and  the' knowledge  of  youthful  character  thus  ob 
tained  has  been  used  to  good  advantage  in  his  works. 

TRY    AGAIN  ;    or,  the  Trials   and  Triumphs  of  Harry 

West.     $1.25. 

The  story  of  Harry  West  Is  a  record  of  youthful  experience  designed  to 
illustrate  the  necessity  and  the  results  of  perseverance  in  well  doing.  The 
true  success  of  life  is  the  attainment  of  a  pure  and  exalted  character;  and  he 
who  at  three-score-and-ten  has  won  nothing  but  wealth  and  a  name,  has 
failed  to  achieve  the  noblest  purpose  of  his  being.  This  is  the  moral  of  the 
story  contained  in  this  volume. 

LITTLE     BY    LITTLE  ;    or,  the   Cruise   of  the   Fly 
away.     $1.25. 

Paul  Duncan,  the  hero  of  this  volume,  is  a  nautical  young  gentleman,  and 
most  of  the  events  of  the  story  occur  upan  the  water,  and  possess  that  excit 
ing  and  captivating  character  for  which  this  author's  books  are  famous.  But 
the  author  hopes  that  something  more  than  exciting  incidents  will  be  found 
upon  his  pages;  that  though  he  has  seldom,  if  ever,  gone  out  of  his  way  to 
de-fine  the  moral  quality,  or  measure  the  moral  quantity,  of  the  wdrds  and 
deeds  of  his  characters,  the  story  will  not  be  found  wanting  in  a  true  Chris 
tian  spirit. 

POOR    AND     PROUD  ;    or,   the  Fortunes   of   Katy 

Eedburn.     $1.25. 

The  history  of  a  smart  girl,  where  fortunes  are  made  to  depend  upon  her 
good  principles,  her  politeness,  her  determined  perseverance,  and  lur  ovrr- 
coming  that  foolish  pride,  which  is  a  snare  to  the  feet.  In  these  respects ^he 
is  a  worthy  example  for  the  young. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on. 
receipt  of  price.  

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OLIVER    OPTIC'S    BOOKS. 


STARRY   FLAG  SERIES, 

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THE    STARRY    FLAG;  or,  the  Young  Fisherman  of 
Cape  Ann.     $1.25. 
"  The  early  history  of  Levi  Fairfield,  the  boy  hero  of  this  volume,  as  it  is 


resbyte 

BREAKING    AWAY  :   or,  the  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

81.25. 

"  In  this  volume  Oliver  Optic  opens  the  school-room  door,  and  shows  the 
nature,  construction,  and  workings  of  the  school  system;  its  lights  and 
shallows;  its  discipline,  and  the  serious  consequences  that  come  from  waut 
ol  discipline." — Patriot. 

SEEK    AND     FIND  ;  or,  the  Adventures  of  a  Smart 

Boy.     $1.25. 

Earnest  Thornton,  the  "  smart  boy  "  of  this  story,  is  a  clear  headed,  well 
intentioned,  plucky  boy,  that  has  a  high  aim  and  means  right  even  where  he 
is  wrong,  and  his  adventures  will  be  read  with  interest. 

FREAKS     OF     FORTUNE  ;     or,   Half   around  the 
World,  —  a  sequel  to  "The  Starry  Flag."    $1.25. 
"The  adventures  of  Levi  Fairfield,  the  noble  young  Captain  of  the  Starry 
Flag,  excited  such  an  interest  among  the  young  folks  that  the  continuance  of 
his  story  was  called  for,  with  which  demand  the  ever  ready  author  has 
complied,  with  a  story  equally  attractive  and  interesting." 

MAKE     OR     BREAK  ;    or,  the  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

$1.25. 

"  This  is  a  lively,  stirring  volume,  full  of  interest  and  instruction  from  one 
cover  to  the  other.  Just  the  book  a  smart,  wide-awake  boy  will  enjoy  in 
tensely." — Press. 

DOWN    THE     RIVER  ;    or,  Buck  Bradford  and  his 

Tyrants.     $1.25. 

"  These  stories  are  not  only  written  in  a  manner  well  calculated  to  enchain 
the  attention  of  youns;  readers,  but  teach  at  the  same  time  such  important 
lessons  of  sobriety,  industry  and  cheerfulness,  that  we  should  like  to  BCO 
them  in  the  hands  of  every  boy  in  the  land." — Galesburg  Free  Press. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on 
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SOPHIE    MAY'S    BOOKS. 


LITTLE  PRUDY  STORIES, 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.    In   Sets  or  separate.    Per 

"  volume,  75  cents. 
LITTLE     PRUDY. 

LITTLE     PRUDY'S     Sister    Susy. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S     Captain     Horace. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S    Cousin    Grace. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S     Story     Book. 

LITTLE     PRUDY'S     Dotty     Dimple. 


DOTTY  DIMPLE  STORIES, 

By  the  author  of  "  Little  Prudy  Stories." 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  Sets  or  separate.    Per 
volume,  75  cents. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    at    her    Grandmother's. 
DOTTY     DIMPLE    at    Home. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    out    West. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    at    Play. 

DOTTY     DIMPLE    at    School. 

DOTTY     DIMPLE'S     Flyaway. 

Read  the  high  commendation  of  the  S'orth  American  Review,  which 
places  Sophie  May's  Books  at  the 

Head    of  Juvenile    Literature. 

"Genius  comes  in  with  'Little  Prudy.'  Compared  with  her,  all  other 
hook-children  are  cold  creations  of  Literature  only;  she  alone  is  the  real 
thing.  All  the  quaintness  of  childhood,  its  originality,  its  tenderness  and  its 
teasing,  —  its  infinite,  unconscious  drollery,  the  serious  earnestness  of  its 
fun,  the  fun  of  its  seriousness,  the  natural  religion  of  its  plays,  and  the  delic 
ious  oddity  of  its  prayers,  —  all  those  waited  for  dear  Little  Prudy  to  embody 
them.  Bam  "VYeller  is  not  more  piquant;  Hans  Anderson's  nutcrackers  and 
knitting-needles  are  not  more  thoroughly  chanred  with  life.  There  are  six 
little  green  volumes  in  the  series,  and  of  course  other  dramatis  persotue 
must  figure ;  but  one  eagerly  watches  for  every  reappearance  of  Prudy,  as 
one  watches  at  the  play  for  Owens  or  Warren  to  re-enter  upon  the  stuuc. 
Who  is  our  benefactress  in  the  authorship  of  these  books,  the  world  knows 
not.  Sophie  May  must  doubtless  be  a  fancy  name,  by  reason  of  the  spelling, 
and  we  have  only  to  be  greutful  that  the  author  did  not  inflict  on  us  the 
customary  alliteration  in  her  pseudonyme.  The  rare  gift  of  delineating 
childhood  is  hers,  and  may  the  line  of '  Little  Prudy  '  go  out  to  the  end  of  the 
earth To  those  oversaturated  with  transatlantic  traditions  we  recom 
mend  a  course  of  Little  Prudy," 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on 
receipt  of  price.  

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


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